New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks missed practice Saturday for the second straight day with a calf injury and is questionable for Monday night’s game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sarah Barshop of ESPN reported.
The Giants were already down one starter. They placed Paulson Adebo on injured reserve Friday with a knee injury, so he will miss at least the next four games.
Adebo showed up on Monday’s injury report and did not practice. In the Week 1 game against Dallas, he played 10 defensive snaps and made two tackles.
The veteran has 63 career starts. Twelve of them came in 2025, his first season with the Giants after arriving from New Orleans in free agency.
Without Banks, rookie Colton Hood is in line to start opposite Greg Newsome II.
The Giants drafted Hood out of Tennessee in the second round, and coach John Harbaugh said at the time he expected him to start. Newsome, a former first-round pick of the Cleveland Browns, signed with New York this offseason.
Banks was a first-round pick in 2023.
The Giants added depth Friday by signing cornerback Nikko Reed off the Los Angeles Chargers’ practice squad. Reed played five games as an undrafted rookie last season, mostly on special teams. He played college football at Colorado and Oregon, appearing in 49 games with 15 starts.
The Giants flew to Los Angeles on Saturday.
The Rams’ receivers are a difficult test for a shorthanded group. Puka Nacua led the NFL with 129 receptions last season, though he is questionable with a hip injury and considered a pregame decision.
Davante Adams is the other veteran option. If Nacua plays, Hood could see him or Adams in his first NFL start.
The Rams’ passing game struggled in Week 1. Matthew Stafford threw for 155 yards in a 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia.
Los Angeles will also have Aaron Donald back from retirement for his first game since January 2024.
Should Banks be ruled out, Hood would make his first NFL start in prime time. Kickoff is 8:15 p.m. ET Monday, and inactives are due at 6:45 p.m. ET.
