Deonte Banks

Originally a first-round (24th pick overall) draft choice by the Giants in 2023.

TRANSACTIONS:

• Originally a first-round (24th pick overall) draft choice by the Giants in 2023.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

• As a rookie in 2023, started all 15 games in which he played…Missed the final 2 games of the season due to a shoulder injury…Finished with 64 tackles (53 solo), 2 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions and 11 passes defensed, the latter figure tying Xavier McKinney for the team lead and were the most by a Giants rookie since Will Allen had 14 in 2001…Ranked 8^th among all rookies with 64 total tackles.
• Recorded one tackle and 2 passes in his NFL debut vs. Dallas (9/10)…The Giants' other starting cornerback against the Cowboys was 6^th-round draft choice Tre Hawkins. It was the first time in the Super Bowl era the Giants started 2 rookie corners in the season opener…They had last started 2 rookies in their secondary in their opening game in 1980, when Mark Haynes (right cornerback) and Bud Hebert (free safety) started in a 41-35 victory vs. the Cardinals in St. Louis…The previous NFL team to start a pair of rookie corners in the season's first game was the 2008 Kansas City Chiefs (Brandon Carr and Brandon Flowers).
• Center John Michael Schmitz, the Giants' 2^nd-round draft choice, also started vs. Dallas…The Giants started 3 rookie draft choices in their season opener for the first time since 2018, when running back Saquon Barkley, left guard Will Hernandez, and defensive lineman B.J. Hill all played the first snap.
• Produced 7 tackles and his first career interception on a pass thrown by Sam Howell – that he returned 6 yards - vs. Washington (10/22)…Recorded 3 tackles and matched his season high with 2 passes defensed vs. the Jets (10/29). Week 8…Intercepted Patriots quarterback Mac Jones and totaled 4 tackles in the win over New England (11/26)…Set a career high with 12 tackles (9 solo) vs. Green Bay (12/11)…Had 6 solo tackles at Philadelphia (12/25).

COLLEGE:

• Played in 30 games with 21 starts in 4 seasons at Maryland…Career totals included 83 tackles (61 solo), a half-sack, 2 interceptions, 13 passes defensed and one blocked kick.
• As a senior in 2022, played in a career-high 12 games with 8 starts…Opted out of the Duke's Mayo Bowl and decided to forego his final year of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft…Selected honorable mention All-Big Ten…Tallied a career-best 38 tackles (25 solo) and 9 passes defensed, plus one interception and a half-sack…In 2021, started the season's first 2 games, vs. West Virginia (9/4) and Howard (9/11) before suffering season-ending torn labrum injury in the Howard game…Totaled 6 tackles (4 solo), including 5 stops (4 solo) vs. West Virginia.
• In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, played in 5 games with 3 starts...Posted 11 tackles (10 solo) and one pass defensed...As a freshman in 2019, played in 11 games with starts in the final 8 games...Tallied 28 tackles (22 solo), one interception and two pass breakups...Recorded first career interception, picking off Brian Lewerke at Michigan State...Had 3 tackles in his first career start at Rutgers…Made his collegiate debut vs. Howard.

OFF-THE-FIELD ACTIVITY:

• Joined Project Kind, an organization to support those experiencing homelessness, to host an event with 125 people from the organization for a day of haircuts, spa treatments and lunch at MetLife stadium…The entire 2023 rookie class visited Harlem, where players were split into groups to visit 4 different schools and hosted a flag football clinic for 50 of the boys in the Harlem Giants program…To celebrate Halloween, dressed in costume to visit patients and distribute giftbags at Hackensack University Medical Center's Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital…Continued the annual rookie Thanksgiving tradition at the Community Kitchen located at the Food Bank for New York City in Harlem to hand out turkeys and meals for people in need…Partnered with the American Heart Association and Oakley to meet and play with students for 60 minutes and encourage them to be active and create healthy habits at Benjamin Franklin Middle School in Ridgewood, N.J. and provided a $1,500 equipment grant…Met with members of the Wounded Warriors Project during their visit to the Quest Diagnostics Training Center to watch practice and enjoy a day with the Giants…Represented the New York City Police Foundation's Harlem Giants during the Week 13 My Cause My Cleats NFL initiative.

PERSONAL:

• Family science major…Prefers to be called "Tae"…Played cornerback and slotback at Edgewater (Md.) High School…Played in the same backfield as his cousin, Antwain Banks…As a sophomore, he had 41 tackles and 5 interceptions, plus 24 receptions for 534 yards…In his junior season, he recorded 41 tackles, 16 passes defended and 3 interceptions (2 returned for touchdowns) and accounted for 1,052 total yards (674 rushing, 378 receiving) and 8 touchdowns (5 rushing, 3 receiving) on offense…As a senior, Banks earned all-state and all-county honors with 113 carries for 1,700 rushing yards (15.0-yard average) and 24 touchdowns…Defensively, he had 23 tackles, 9 passes defensed and three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) as he led Edgewood to a 9-win season and an appearance in the 2018 playoffs…Also lettered in track and set several school records…Posted personal bests in the 100 meters (10.96), 200 meters (22.44), high jump (5 feet, 6 inches) and long jump (22 feet, 8 inches)…Received his first scholarship offer from Division II Seton Hill after his junior season followed by a few FCS offers (Delaware State, Elon, Monmouth) and FBS offers (Buffalo, Kent State)...When Maryland offered him the summer before his senior season, Banks committed 2 weeks later…Son of Jamal Banks and Laura Bethea.