This is why I was drafted

The New York Giants will host the Minnesota Vikings in their 2024 regular season opener this Sunday and that means they will have to deal with All-World wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

Here’s a quick snapshot of just exactly who Jefferson is for those who may have forgotten:

Last season, in just 10 games, Jefferson had 68 receptions for 1,074 yards with five touchdowns. In the process, he became the fifth player in NFL history with 1,000-plus receiving yards in each of their first four seasons.

In addition, Jefferson needs 885 yards this season to pass Torry Holt for the most yards by a player in their first five seasons. If he gains more than 101 yards this Sunday against the Giants, he will pass the great Lance Alworth as the fastest player to 6,000 career receiving yards.

Oh, and Jefferson had 12 catches for 133 yards and a score in his last meeting with the Giants on Christmas Eve in 2022.

“You better know where he’s lined up,” Giants head coach Brian Daboll said this week. “He can hurt you in all three areas of the field. Catch and run, intermediate, vertical, double moves. They’ll use him in a variety of spots.”

The Giants will counter by assigning their top man, second-year cornerback Deonte Banks, to Jefferson on Sunday.

“I love the fact it’s right into it,” Banks told the New York Post. “Just take it head on. This is what they drafted me for, this is what I came here to do. This is what I want. I wouldn’t want it (any) other way, really.

“He’s elite, so he does a lot of things real well… He’s great at contested catches. He’s great at it.”

True. This is why the Giants drafted Banks with the 24th overall pick in last year’s NFL draft. He is now the Giants’ anchor at cornerback.

They added Dru Phillips in this year’s draft, but his specialty is inside. The other barrier corner spot is still very much being contested. The Giants are still trying to figure out whether it will be Cor’Dale Flott or Nick McCloud. They re-signed veteran Adoree’ Jackson this week just in case neither steps up.

Banks is ready to take the mantle for the Giants at corner. He played fairly well as a rookie last year but admits it was more of a “warm-up” year for him.

“It was OK. It was an OK year,” he said. “But that was just a warm-up year for me. I was just getting warm into the league, just trying to find my place.”

Banks is more confident this time around. He needs to be with the army of talented receivers in this league he’ll have to face.