Friday Transcript: CB Deonte Banks

First Round Selection CB Deonte Banks

April 28, 2023

Q. What have the last 24 hours been like?

DEONTE BANKS: Really exciting and a lot of emotions. It's been really exciting.

Q. We see the physical traits that made you a good -- a very good press man cover corner. That's obvious. So, what about your mentality makes you good at that, very good?

DEONTE BANKS: I feel like I've got a mentality just for me to try to be better at every play. I try to be aggressive, and I try to use my superpower, which is my physicality.

Q. What's it like being in the building today, knowing you're going to be here?

DEONTE BANKS: I felt good. Like really good.

Q. Since you got here, who have you seen, spoken to?

DEONTE BANKS: I spoke to the GM (Joe Schoen), Face Timed head coach (Brian Daboll). I just ate lunch with my family.

Q. When did you feel the dream to getting to the NFL was becoming a reality?

DEONTE BANKS: I really knew it was real like -- kind of going into my freshman year at Maryland. After I signed my NLI, my national letter of intent, I felt like it was always close.

Q. Why did it hit you at that point that it could happen?

DEONTE BANKS: The high school I came from, is not really a high school, like, that people know that. The teams that I've been to, I've talked to a lot of coaches and coaches still don't know the school I went to. I feel like I beat the odds.

Q. When you say you had that confidence going into college, we know you were only a three-star recruit and Maryland was the only Power Five-ranked school that recruited you, so it sounds like that was very much internal for you; that other people never saw you like that, but you always saw yourself as an NFL player. Why is that?

DEONTE BANKS: One hundred percent. I was always working hard, and I always had dedication to my sport. I feel like once I put my mind to anything, I can do it.

Q. There are some discrepancies on your height. How tall are you?

DEONTE BANKS: I'm 6'1.

Q. And how much do you think that height helps you on the field? There are 5'9, 5'10 cornerbacks. 6'1 is getting up there. How do you think that helps you?

DEONTE BANKS: To be honest, I don't really look into height like that. I just try to go play ball.

Q. Do you think it does help, though, having long arms, being strong? Obviously, the Giants like you and the size is part of it.

DEONTE BANKS: For sure. Definitely works in my favor.

Q. How much do you look at yourself as a lock down, No. 1 cornerback or do you feel that's something that you have to grow into in THE league?

DEONTE BANKS: It's something I have to get to first. I've got to get my foot in the door first.

Q. How did they sell you on the Giants? Like what vision did they sell you?

DEONTE BANKS: It just felt like home for me. When I first got here, they took me out. I went on a visit, and they took me out to dinner. It was really cool. The dinner was really cool. To me it wasn't real weird. It was real good vibes.

Q. You could have got picked, 32 teams; the fact you are coming to a team that plays a lt of press man coverage, is that something that excites you?

DEONTE BANKS: Yes, it does.

Q. What in particular do you feel like you are most looking forward to learning from Adoree' Jackson, a guy who has been in the league for a really long time, tons of snaps. What in particular are you hoping to pick his brain on?

DEONTE BANKS: I feel like he can teach me a lot of things. First, I have to get my foot in the door first. I'm coming here to work.

Q. Have you spoken to any teammates here? Do you know anybody here?

DEONTE BANKS: Yes, I heard from Daniel Jones, Adoree' Jackson, Darnay Holmes.

Q. What was their message to you?

DEONTE BANKS: Just excited for me, just like bringing me in, let's work. Let's lock in.

Q. Was there any disappointment for you, Baltimore was three picks earlier, Baltimore guy, were you hoping to go there? Did you grow up a Ravens fan?

DEONTE BANKS: I definitely grew up a Ravens fans, but I wasn't worried about where I was picked. I was just trying to get picked. I'm just trying to get here.

Q. As a Ravens fan, we asked you this last night, but it was hard to hear, how much do you watch Wink Martindale in that defense, and what did you learn --

DEONTE BANKS: I actually watched it a lot. They send a lot of pressure and put man behind it. I like that.

Q. How much do you like and, hey, I'm a cornerback and I want to matchup and go one-on-one with the receivers? Is that something you embrace, and is that something you wanted to do when you were at Maryland?

DEONTE BANKS: It's something I just embrace.

Q. What did you actually do to your shoulder and how tough was it to deal with, basically, missing that season?

DEONTE BANKS: I tore my labrum. It was really tough. Football is really my happiness, so it was a real dark spot for me.

Q. Did you doubt at that point that you would be a first-round pick? Not that you wouldn't make it to that level, but that it might not be possible to get to this point. You had, like, what, a year to sort of prove to these teams that you were that level of cornerback?

DEONTE BANKS: Never any self-doubt.

Q. You talk about your relationship with (Maryland Head Football) Coach (Mike) Locksley and what he's done for you to get to this point?

DEONTE BANKS: That's my guy. He got me here to sure. He's a real character. He's real cool. That's my guy, though.

Q. Are there specific things -- you talk about that he helped you to get to this level -- knowing you wanted to get here --

DEONTE BANKS: He helped me out with watching film a little bit. But he helped me out a lot.

Q. I saw you listed Tavon Austin as your sports hero, at least in your Maryland bio. Do you have any personal relationship with him? I know he's from Baltimore. Any mentorship there?

DEONTE BANKS: No, not at all. But he kind of put the city on the map for us. He gave kids like me, a kid like I was, a hope. He gives us hope and that's what I'm trying to do right now.

Q. Back to your injury. How did that change your approach on the game or your outlook on the sport you said you loved it so much; you love the game so much did. It change at all?

DEONTE BANKS: It didn't really change. I feel like I started to really care for it more because it got taken away from me. That's not really something I wanted to happen again. I prepare more and keep my body right more.

Q. Is there anything differently in the way you prepare more and keep your body?

DEONTE BANKS: Stay in the training room more. I was in the training room way more.

Q. Are there other cornerbacks that you looked up to as you were growing into your college career, NFL players that you try to emulate?

DEONTE BANKS: I used to really like Patrick Peterson when I was young. I started to like Jalen Ramsey, Marshon Lattimore, that type of guy.

Q. Any parts of your guy you try to mold after some of those guys?

DEONTE BANKS: They're just physical. They talk a lot of trash, too.

Q. Do you talk trash out there?

DEONTE BANKS: A little bit.

Q. What's the worst thing you ever said to somebody or had said back to you?

DEONTE BANKS: I don't know. People don't really talk to me too much.

Q. Do you think you need that kind of confidence to play your position at a high level?

DEONTE BANKS: I feel like that you do. I feel like you've got to have a little edge to you, playing defense, like in general.

Q. Is that your personality or are you trying to get guys off their game?

DEONTE BANKS: That's my personality. I'm real competitive.

Q. They are drafting you to help them stop AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, CeeDee Lamb, Terry McLaurin. What do you think of when you hear those kinds of receiver names and the assignment of trying to stop that?

DEONTE BANKS: I think of competing. Competing and competing.

Q. As such a competitive guy, you're the fourth corner taken. What did you think when you saw three guys at your position go before you?

DEONTE BANKS: Good for them.

Q. Does that fuel you at all to eventually show you're a better player than those guys?

DEONTE BANKS: Not really, but it gave me a little edge.

Q. I think you said about football meaning so much for you and to you, can you help us understand how football at lifted you in moments or given joy to you and your family, that kind of thing?

DEONTE BANKS: First, I never been to maybe Las Vegas. I barely been to New York before. I've been to Chicago. I can get city to city just from playing football. I never really traveled before and I just kind of went on tour like three weeks, like these last three weeks I went on tour, and I really enjoyed it.

Q. Who do you have here with you?

DEONTE BANKS: My sister, my father, my mother, my brother, my girlfriend, and my closest friend.

Q. You had never been to New York before or had you been here a couple times?

DEONTE BANKS: I played a football game and I also visited but other than that I never been to New York like that.

Q. What are you looking forward to about New York or looking to see or do?

DEONTE BANKS: I'm here to play football.