The New York Giants did an excellent job of finding value while addressing needs during the 2023 NFL Draft. In the first round, they addressed arguably their biggest need by trading up to select Maryland cornerback Deonte Banks.
Banks fits the mold for the type of cornerback that will succeed in defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s system. He plays with physicality, has good size and is willing to mix it up against the run. All of the tools to succeed as a man coverage corner are there, which is what cornerbacks are asked to do a lot of in Martindale’s system.
However, it will take more than Banks to turn this unit around. New York has only one other NFL-starting caliber cornerback in Adoree’ Jackson. Other than that, the depth chart is a little lacking.
The Giants have players that could eventually develop and step into a larger role, such as sixth-round pick Tre Hawkins III out of Old Dominion, but it wouldn’t hurt to bring in another established veteran to round out the group.
At this point in the offseason bargains could usually be had on the free agent market. Veterans have waited to see how depth charts looked ahead of the draft and could narrow down the teams that they want to play for. One player to keep an eye on when it comes to the Giants is cornerback Marcus Peters.
Peters is one of the most high-profile players remaining on the free agent market. 2022 was a tough season for him as he allowed a passer rating of 113.7 in coverage and failed to intercept at least three passes for the first time in his career.
However, he deserves a little bit of a pass as he suffered a torn ACL in 2021 and was still working his way back. Another year removed from the injury and with the ability to have a full offseason, Peters could start to return to the form we are accustomed to seeing him play at.
With experience playing in Martindale’s system from his time with the Baltimore Ravens, the transition to the Giants would be an easy one for Peters. He could help the younger players speed up the learning process for a system that has a lot of nuances. His playmaking would also be a huge boost to a defense that had only six interceptions in 2022.
With only $2.6 million in cap space, New York would have to do a little work to fit Peters under the salary cap even if he were to take a team-friendly deal. It would be a worthwhile risk for the Giants as he is familiar with the system and was a premier cornerback before a down 2022 season after returning from a torn ACL.
