Getty A New York Giants' rookie is ready for the challenge of facing Miami Dolphins' wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
Stopping the Miami Dolphins, specifically wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, is a daunting challenge, but New York Giants’ rookie cornerback Deonte Banks isn’t fazed by the task.
The player selected 24th overall in the 2023 NFL draft isn’t afraid of having to subdue perhaps the fastest duo of pass-catchers in football. Banks told NorthJersey.com’s Art Stapleton, “Speed doesn’t scare me. But we will respect it. I’m a fast guy, too. If you want to run, let’s run. If you want to run, we can run.”
It’s bold statement considering Hill is a seven-time Pro Bowler who remains the premier deep threat in football. Waddle is no slouch, either, and he’s coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
The Hill and Waddle double act have already accounted for 680 yards and two touchdowns. Banks’ bravado aside, those numbers should worry a Giants defense that’s giving up seven yards per attempt through the air ahead of the game at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, October 8.
Fortunately, Banks sounds like he knows it will take more than matching speed with speed to slow down these Dolphins.
Giants’ Top Rookie Has a Plan
Banks intends to do what he can to make life uncomfortable for Dolphins’ wideouts, particularly Hill and Waddle. The first-year cover man told Brandon London of the New York Post how he looks at the duo as “the same, like, even though they’re like more shiftier, more quick dudes, I still try to get hands on and just be good with my technique.”
So Banks sounds confident about going with a physical approach rather than giving a cushion to Hill and Waddle out of deference to their speed. The more handsy strategy could work, especially since Banks has already gotten ample experience of playing physical during his brief time in the pros.
The rookie produced a solid outing when matched up with DK Metcalf against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 4. Banks allowed “3 receptions on 4 targets for 34 yards” against 6-foot-4, 235-pounder Metcalf, per Next Gen Stats.
At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Banks gave up some height and weight, but he never shied away from trying to jam Metcalf at the line. The rugged technique worked to force this incompletion, highlighted by Nick Falato of SB Nation’s Big Blue View.
Solid job in coverage by Deonte Banks against DK Metcalf, who caught the ball but stepped out and never ‘reestablished’ himself
Check that Metcalf outside leg kick on the release. Banks stayed right inside the hip pocket and helped force the step out
Although Metcalf beat Banks for a touchdown, the score came from a veteran receiver using his experience to catch a rookie cold. Banks can learn from that episode, just like he can learn from the formidable task of keeping Hill and Waddle quiet.
The challenge extends to every member of the Giants’ defense because the Dolphins have speed all over the field. It’s something defensive coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale is acutely aware of while he tries to design the right schemes to give the Giants an unlikely edge.
Giants Preparing for Threat of Dolphins’ Speed
Martindale knows it’s risky to try and replicate how fast the Miami offense covers ground. The play-caller cautioned, “even if you think you can mimic it, it’s not [the same]. That’s why they’re so successful on their first drives. Guys have to get used to the speed of the game and the speed of those guys. It’s like if you were driving on Daytona [in] NASCAR and jumped and tried to race against a Formula 1 guy,” per the Post’s Ryan Dunleavy.
This Giants defense is ill-equipped to go step for step with the Dolphins. That leaves Martindale and his players trying to identify ways to mitigate the speed.
One of the best ways will be to hit and trail receivers like Hill underneath. Banks and fellow cornerbacks Adoree’ Jackson and Cor’Dale Flott will have more freedom to play aggressively if Martindale deploys safety help over the top.
It would mean a departure from the Giants’ usual Cover-zero or single-high blitz schemes, but reinforcing the last line of defense could help keep this game closer than expected.