The New York Giants will host the Minnesota Vikings of their 2024 common season opener this Sunday and which means they should cope with All-World huge receiver Justin Jefferson.
Right here’s a fast snapshot of simply precisely who Jefferson is for individuals who could have forgotten:
Final season, in simply 10 video games, Jefferson had 68 receptions for 1,074 yards with 5 touchdowns. Within the course of, he grew to become the fifth participant in NFL historical past with 1,000-plus receiving yards in every of their first 4 seasons.
As well as, Jefferson wants 885 yards this season to go Torry Holt for probably the most yards by a participant of their first 5 seasons. If he beneficial properties greater than 101 yards this Sunday in opposition to the Giants, he’ll go the good Lance Alworth because the quickest participant to six,000 profession receiving yards.
Oh, and Jefferson had 12 catches for 133 yards and a rating in his final assembly with the Giants on Christmas Eve in 2022.
“You higher know the place he’s lined up,” Giants head coach Brian Daboll stated this week. “He can harm you in all three areas of the sphere. Catch and run, intermediate, vertical, double strikes. They’ll use him in quite a lot of spots.”
The Giants will counter by assigning their high man, second-year cornerback Deonte Banks, to Jefferson on Sunday.
“I really like the actual fact it’s proper into it,” Banks advised the New York Submit. “Simply take it head on. That is what they drafted me for, that is what I got here right here to do. That is what I need. I wouldn’t need it (any) different means, actually.
“He’s elite, so he does lots of issues actual properly… He’s nice at contested catches. He’s nice at it.”
True. That is why the Giants drafted Banks with the twenty fourth total choose in final yr’s NFL draft. He’s now the Giants’ anchor at cornerback.
They added Dru Phillips on this yr’s draft, however his specialty is inside. The opposite barrier nook spot remains to be very a lot being contested. The Giants are nonetheless attempting to determine whether or not it will likely be Cor’Dale Flott or Nick McCloud. They re-signed veteran Adoree’ Jackson this week simply in case neither steps up.
Banks is able to take the mantle for the Giants at nook. He performed pretty properly as a rookie final yr however admits it was extra of a “warm-up” yr for him.
“It was OK. It was an OK yr,” he stated. “However that was only a warm-up yr for me. I used to be simply getting heat into the league, simply looking for my place.”
Banks is extra assured this time round. He must be with the military of proficient receivers on this league he’ll need to face.
