The New York Giants wrapped up their training camp practices in West Virginia. And the developments from the first phase of camp paint an encouraging picture for a franchise desperate for positive momentum.

With the first preseason game kicking off Saturday, there’s plenty to unpack from what the biggest beat writers on the Giants beat are reporting. But let’s focus on the secondary.

The cornerback rotation is shifting

The cornerback situation was one of the biggest storylines entering camp, and the early returns are surprising. Per Jordan Raanan of ESPN and Dan Duggan of The Athletic, Banks is making a real push to start on the outside.

Paulson, Adebo and Greg Newsome began the summer with the first team. Deebo had a rough camp, and Deonte Banks was good. He was probably the team’s best cover corner in West Virginia.

Duggan reported further in a piece he dropped Monday morning. He pointed out the order of players getting first-team reps went Newsome, Banks, Adebo, and Hood. He also indicated that Greg Newsome was getting some work in the slot with a banged-up Dru Phillips.

That detail about Newsome in the slot caught my attention. If Newsome has performed well enough to hold his own on the outside, but the coaching staff wants to get Colton Hood on the field, sliding Newsome inside makes a lot of sense. Having a quality slot corner is extremely important in the NFL, and maximizing the number of capable defensive backs on the field at once should be the priority.

There are two ways to interpret the Banks development. Based on what multiple beat reporters are saying, there is truth to the notion that Paulson Adebo has regressed. He is not living up to the contract New York gave him, hoping he could at least be a reliable outside corner and a solid No. 2 if the Giants found a premier No. 1. It appears he’s just not performing well, which is troubling considering he could have been a nice veteran piece for this team.

The timing of Adebo’s struggles allowed Banks to build momentum, and this is something we’ve discussed before. Banks performed well in offseason workouts and carried that over to camp. Deonte Banks isn’t a bum. He’s not a player who was overdrafted because of a lack of athletic tools. He’s supremely gifted, extremely fast, long, and can fly all over the field. The problems were always processing and technique. Every little technical thing was the issue, and that made him quite terrible.

But the tools were always there for the right coach to tap into. Shane Bowen was not that coach. When Wink Martindale was leading the defense, they were starting to activate him and figure out how to develop his talent. Now that good coaching is back in the building, a player who was consistently bad is emerging as a potential starter on the outside. Banks and Hood on the outside with Newsome in the slot would be the best-case scenario for this secondary.