The pick was made, there were smiles and applause and then, one very hearty and physical bear hug, as Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale not only embraced general manager Joe Schoen but also pounded him on the back, repeatedly.
You think Martindale was happy the Giants on Thursday night selected cornerback Deonte Banks, trading up one spot in the first round to fill a glaring need on defense?
“You guys know Wink’s defense and what he likes,’’ Schoen said, grinning at the thought of Martindale’s expressive response to the pick. “Deonte fits that mold to a tee. [Martindale] was ecstatic.’’
Why not? The Giants were hoping to add a cornerback or wide receiver in the first round, and only one of those positions would give Martindale more fuel to light his blitz-happy fires.
Schoen saw which way the board was moving in the first round and decided not to sit tight, as there was a danger of running out of players the Giants were considering.
He moved from No. 25 to 24, trading up one spot with the Jaguars to take the last remaining cornerback Schoen was considering in the first round.
To move up one spot, the Giants sent one of their two fifth-round picks (No. 160 overall) and one of their three seventh-round picks (No. 240 overall) to the Jaguars. That leaves the Giants with a total of eight picks in this draft.
Banks should immediately challenge for a starting job opposite Adoree’ Jackson.
“Can’t have enough good corners,’’ coach Brian Daboll said. “It’s a passing league.’’
Banks has good size at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, and was considered to be one of the top corners in this draft. With his size comes great speed: 4.32 at the scouting combine in the 40-yard dash. He did not display much ballhawk prowess at Maryland — two career interceptions — and missed all but two games in 2021 with injuries. He started 12 games for the Terrapins in 2022. Banks was the fourth cornerback selected.
“He’s a prototype from a size standpoint,’’ Schoen said. “He’s athletic, he’s physical, he can run. Arm length, big hands.’’
The Giants were certainly also interested in the wide receivers in this draft, and they liked the way the players came off the board in the first half of the first round. In the first 15 picks, only one cornerback and no wide receivers were selected.
The run on corners started at No. 16, when the Commanders took Emmanuel Forbes of Mississippi State and the Patriots at No. 17 took Christian Gonzalez of Oregon. Clearly, the Giants liked Banks more than Joey Porter Jr. of Penn State, as both Banks and Porter were on the board at No. 24. The Giants could have sat at No. 25 and taken Banks or Porter but opted to move up to ensure they got Banks.
“The way it went down and the way the board fell, we were getting depleted, so it was the right thing to do for us,’’ Schoen said of the trade. “I would say it was getting tense.’’
The first receiver to come off the board, Jaxon Smith-Njigba of Ohio State, went at No. 20 to the Seahawks. That started the run on wide receivers, a run that essentially took all the most enticing targets off the board for the Giants.
“That was part of it,’’ Schoen said of the growing desire to trade up.
In order for defensive coordinator Martindale’s blitz-heavy, uber-aggressive system to operate crisply, he must have faith that the back end of the defense can hold up. Martindale in 2022 did not have a reliable stable of cornerbacks, and the group was really stretched thin when injuries limited Jackson to just 10 games.
Banks said the Giants took him out to dinner during his visit with the team and the vibe was strong.
“When I came down there it just felt like my home,’’ Banks said. “It felt like family. I knew if I made it to 25 it was gonna be the Giants.’’
There are a few young corners on the roster the Giants hope will challenge for extensive playing time, leading with Cor’Dale Flott. The 2022 third-round pick from LSU is skinny but talented and has the skill set to be a perimeter corner. He started six games as a rookie but missed six games with a strained calf.
Aaron Robinson, a 2021 third-round pick from Central Florida, has been beset by injuries. The other options at cornerback returning on the roster are Darnay Holmes and Nick McCloud. Amani Oruwariye, with 36 NFL starts (and nine interceptions) in four years with the Lions was signed in free agency.
Banks figures to move to the top of the list.
“No one’s going to be given anything,’’ Schoen said. “He has to come in and earn his stripes.’’