Giants Week 1 depth chart very telling for Deonte Banks, Paulson Adebo

John Harbaugh’s meritocracy can feature Deonte Banks as the poster boy for its ad campaigns.Banks was listed as a starting cornerback on the Giants unofficial depth chart for Sunday against the Cowboys.He was placed ahead of Paulson Adebo, who has a team-high $21.4 million salary-cap hit.What does an unofficial depth chart mean? Nothing is set in stone, but the team wouldn’t publish something that the coaches do not approve.

Get texts from Paul Schwartz with all the latest Giants news and insights, exclusive to Sports+ subscribers.Greg Newsome, Banks, Adebo and rookie Colton Hood all were competing for a pecking order when training camp opened.Hood was slowed by an injury and Newsome separated from the pack so much that he rested in the preseason finale.The true battle emerged between Banks – a once-promising rookie whose career went off the rails with healthy scratches and effort questions over the last two seasons – and Adebo, who was signed to a three-year, $54 million contract in March 2025 to be a difference-maker.Adebo did not meet expectations last season, missed the start of voluntary offseason workouts under Harbaugh and looked a step slow in training camp.Banks’ resurgence is a case of capitalizing on a fresh start and a better player-scheme marriage.Harbaugh wasn’t ready to officially announce a starting duo last week.

And he didn’t rule out a Banks-Adebo rotation opposite Newsome, the way the Giants rotated Banks-Cor’Dale Flott opposite Adebo to open last season.“There’s no reason to because if we name the starter then our opponents know how we’re going to go,” Harbaugh said.“It could be that way (rotating players).

Or it could be two guys out there the whole time.The Giants easily could have listed Banks and Adebo as co-starters, the way that they listed Tyrone Tracy Jr.or Najee Harris or Devin Singletary as the No.

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