For more reasons than one, special teams play was always going to be a focus of the Green Bay Packers' offseason plans. That became more apparent when longtime special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia resigned from his post on Feb. 17.
While Packers fans wait and see who the next one in charge of that branch of Green Bay's roster will be, a former first-round pick with ample experience returning kicks may have just become available at what should be a relatively reasonable asking price.
According to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, the New York Giants will give "no consideration" to picking up the fifth-year option on veteran CB/KR Deonte Banks, making him the type of player Brian Gutekunst and the coaching staff should be more than willing to take a flier on.
Green Bay Acquiring Deonte Banks Makes All the Sense in the World
As much as the Packers need help in the secondary entering the 2026 campaign, and perhaps Banks can contribute in that area should he wind up on Green Bay's roster, his real value to the Packers would come on special teams.
Beyond the well-documented kicking issues that Brandon McManus faced this past season, Green Bay was not much of a threat in the return game, ranking 24th in the NFL with an average of 25.2 yards per kickoff return. Green Bay's longest return for the season was a mere 36 yards; only the Cleveland Browns ranked worse in that category.
This is where Banks can make a real difference for the Packers. After a less than spectacular 2024 season where the former University of Maryland standout was solely focused on the defensive side of the ball, Banks was given the opportunity to contribute on special teams this past season and he made the most of it.
For the season, Banks returned 19 kickoffs with an average of 32.7 yards per return. His long for the season came on a 95-yard return that he took to the house for a touchdown in New York's 34-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 16. His 4.35 40-yard dash time from the 2023 NFL Combine proved Banks was an elite athlete upon entering the league, and he proved in 2025 that he can put that athleticism to use by making defenders miss in the open field as a return specialist.
Banks flashed as a rookie a little, but has struggled in coverage, failing to log higher than a 50 coverage grade on PFF. A change of scenery could be what he needs and allow him to play up to the potential that made him the 24th overall pick.
Given that New York has already signaled that Banks isn't part of their plans for the future under Jim Harbaugh, Green Bay could more than likely acquire the defender for a Day 3 draft pick.
In fact, a recent Bleacher Report story suggested that Banks could be the Packers' for the reasonable cost of a sixth-round pick in this year's draft. And if that's the price, Green Bay should make the deal. With one year left on his deal, they wouldn't be locked in for the long haul and could allow Green Bay to move on if things didn't work out. But if things pan out, Banks could provide the Packers with either a quality return man or depth in a secondary that certainly needs it.