The Las Vegas Raiders obviously have several roster needs, as evidenced by their 2-4 record to start the 2025 NFL season. With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, this could be a chance for the Raiders to make a move and improve, but more likely, to offload players for capital and build through the draft.
Jakobi Meyers is the commonly floated name as far as players go in Las Vegas, as his ongoing contractual saga with the Raiders' new brass is well-documented. There are varying reports about how available he truly is, but he is the most valuable trade chip that the team has.
By playing this hand, the team could acquire a premium draft pick, like a third-rounder, or they could get a starting player in exchange for a swap of late-round picks. But the latest trade proposal involving Meyers would be a disaster for the franchise.
Trading Jakobi Meyers for Giants CB Deonte Banks would be disaster for Raiders
Las Vegas' cornerback room came under fire throughout the preseason, and while they have performed just adequately enough not to tank the Raiders in 2025, they could definitely use more talent and depth.
On Thursday, ESPN's Bill Barnwell proposed a trade to fix Las Vegas' cornerback concerns. The only problem is that the deal involves trading Jakobi Meyers and a fourth-round pick to the New York Giants for cornerback Deonte Banks and a fifth-rounder.
Not only does this proposal indicate that Banks is the more valuable asset, as evidenced by the Raiders getting the worser of the two Day 3 picks, but adding Banks into the fold would not solve any of Las Vegas' cornerback issues, and he doesn't fit the mold of a Pete Carroll defensive back.
Banks does have a big frame at 6-foot-2, but his arms fall well below Carroll's threshold of 32 inches, as his are just 31 and 3/8-inches long. Plus, even though the Giants traded up in the first round to draft him in 2023, he hasn't exactly been a shutdown corner in New York.
RELATED: Michael Mayer said what every Raiders fan needed to hear about Geno Smith
His rookie season was a mixed bag, as Banks gave up 644 yards and four touchdowns through the air, and he was penalized eight times, according to Pro Football Focus. He partly made up for it by grabbing two interceptions and breaking up six passes while allowing a passer rating of just 84.7.
Unfortunately, Banks took a step back during his sophomore campaign, as he relinquished 689 yards and six touchdowns in 2024, despite playing fewer snaps in coverage. He recorded zero interceptions and eight pass breakups, but he was penalized another six times last season and gave up a passer rating of 124.7 when targeted.
In just 80 coverage snaps this season, Banks gave up 96 receiving yards and a touchdown while also committing four penalties. He has completely fallen out of favor in New York, playing just 11 defensive snaps over the last two weeks after losing his starting job to Cor’Dale Flott.
Banks is an incredible athlete and obviously has some potential, as he is still 24 years old and was a first-round pick just over two years ago. But he still struggles with basic concepts like locating the ball and turning his head when targeted, and he would be yet another major project for Carroll and Co. to undertake.
Meyers can certainly provide some value for the Raiders as a trade chip, and Las Vegas surely needs to add a piece or two to the secondary. But only getting Banks and a fifth-rounder, while giving up Meyers and a fourth-rounder, feels like a losing venture for the Silver and Black.