Deonte Banks smiled at the question he knew was coming.
Yes, the young Giants cornerback is excited about the prospect of lining up across from Justin Jefferson, star Vikings receiver and new $140 million man.
No easing his way into the shallow end of the pool. Right away, Banks is being thrown into the part where he can’t stand.
Sink or swim.
“I love the fact it’s right into it. … Just take it head on,” Banks said on Tuesday, as Big Blue prepared to face Minnesota on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. “This is what they drafted me for, this is what I came here to do. This is what I want. I wouldn’t want it [any] other way, really.”
He added: “It gives me a challenge, I like challenges. They’re fun. I feel like I match up well [with him].”
This is just the start for the second-year cornerback. He will draw tough assignments like this all year, whether it is Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb of the Cowboys, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith of the Eagles, and Terry McLaurin of the Commanders, among others. The Giants are thin at corner — Adoree’ Jackson was brought back over the weekend after Cor’Dale Flott and Nick McCloud failed to establish themselves as the No. 2 guy — and they need Banks to emerge.
It starts against the 6-foot-1 Jefferson, who has averaged 98 receptions, 1,474.5 receiving yards and 7.5 touchdowns in his four years in the league. A season ago, he had 68 catches for 1,074 yards and five scores in just 10 games.
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“He’s elite, so he does a lot of things real well,” the 23-year-old Banks said. “He’s great at contested catches. He’s great at it.”
Banks, a 2023 first-round pick out of Maryland, has been preparing for this matchup for quite some time. He began watching film of Jefferson in June. He has picked Jackson’s brain as well. In the 2022 Wild Card round, Jackson held Jefferson to seven catches for 47 yards without a touchdown.
Jackson’s advice: Watch as much as you can of Jefferson, particularly the games he struggled. It could provide helpful hints of what has worked against him in the past.
“You got to find those games where the stats look a little odd, let me see what this cornerback did or how they played him,” Jackson said. “You have to see who you may be similar to playing-wise or put something [new] in your arsenal, because you never know when you may need it.”
Banks is coming off an up-and-down rookie season. He started 15 games and produced 64 tackles, 11 passes defensed and two interceptions. According to Pro Football Focus, he notched a passer rating against of 84.7, which ranked him 24th out of 74 qualified cornerbacks. He would give himself a “B” for his first season.
“It was OK. It was an OK year,” he said. “But that was just a warm-up year for me. I was just getting warm into the league, just trying to find my place.”
Now the Giants need him to take the next step. It starts in Week 1 against one of the premier receivers in the NFL.
Banks believes he’s ready.
“I’m not a person that lacks confidence, but I feel so confident,” he said. “I feel really good.”
Banks has several personal goals for the upcoming season. He was willing to share one of them: The Pro Bowl. He will have plenty of opportunities to prove he is deserving of such an honor.