Re-Grading the Giants' Last 5 First-Round Picks

It's finally 2024 NFL Draft week and the New York Giants fanbase is filled with excitement. The Giants head into this year's draft with a trio of top-70 selections — including the No. 6 overall pick — leaving fans looking forward to the franchise's bright future.

But even though it's exciting to fantasize about what's ahead, it's also fun to look back at the Giants' past draft performances. Empire Writes Back has been doing exactly that for the last several weeks, ranging from ranking New York's last 10 first-round picks to the worst selections of the last decade.

With that in mind, it's time to re-grade the Giants' last five first-round picks. While some players did reach their Day 1 potential, others have left much to be desired.

2023, Pick No. 24 — CB Deonte Banks: B

Deonte Banks has only been with the Giants for one year and it's already clear that he's their No. 1 cornerback going forward.

The former Maryland Terrapin easily slid into a prominent role as a rookie, starting in all 15 of his appearances. According to Pro Football Focus, Banks was targeted 92 times across 844 defensive snaps, only allowing 53 completions (55.2%) for 644 receiving yards, four touchdowns, and an 84.7 opposing passer rating.

Additionally, the 23-year-old defender also amassed 56 total tackles, six broken-up passes, and two interceptions.

Of course, Banks' 2023 performance wasn't exactly perfect. He missed 12.3% of his tackling attempts and even took eight penalties, meaning he does have to work on his discipline going forward.

Nevertheless, those shortcomings are fixable and are overshadowed by everything that Banks does right. If new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen can build off Banks' impressive rookie campaign, it might not be long before the latter is making Pro Bowls while further frustrating the NFL's best wide receivers.