During the preseason, we kept tabs on the seven players the Giants selected in the 2023 draft along with the most promising of their undrafted free agents. Now that the bye week is here, let’s review how each of the key rookies has performed so far..
CB Deonte Banks
Banks entered the bye week on a high, as he intercepted his second pass of the season in the win over New England and continues to establish himself as a solid starter.
Banks has started all 12 games, and his coverage numbers are solid despite being targeted regularly. He’s only allowed a catch on 57 percent of his targets and has given up just one play of longer than 30 yards all season. There have been some negatives, though. He leads the team with eight penalties and has missed a tackle in each of the past five games.
C John Michael Schmitz
Schmitz missed a few games in the middle of the season due to injury but has started nine games at center. With the Giants having had multiple injuries along the line, Schmitz has unsurprisingly struggled at times. He’s been inconsistent as a run-blocker and has given up three sacks. Impressively, he hasn’t committed a penalty all season, though.
Comparisons with Joe Tippmann of the Jets will be inevitable after the Jets opted to select Tippmann rather than Schmitz in the second round, leaving Schmitz to be available for the Giants. In the early stages of their respective careers, Tippmann has been slightly more consistent.
WR Jalin Hyatt
Hyatt flashed some big-play abilities, but the first half of his rookie season was mostly disappointing as he caught just 12 passes in the first 11 games. However, he had a breakout game against New England on Sunday. Hyatt hauled in a career-high five passes and became the first Giants receiver in over a year to post a hundred-yard game.
He’s impressed with his ability to get downfield separation, but also showcased good hands and elusiveness on Sunday. It will be interesting to see if he can keep the momentum going after the bye week.
