Deonte Banks NFL Draft Overview
Position: Cornerback
Height: 6’-1”
Weight: 200 Pounds
School: Maryland
2023 NFL Draft: Deonte Banks Scouting Report
While teams can’t be too eager to value what a player does in gym shorts versus pads, Deonte Banks having a rockstar day at the combine proved he knows to shine when the lights are brightest. One of the knocks on him prior to the combine was the lack of athleticism despite his natural size. Banks proved why he was a two-sport athlete in high school, drawing from his track and field days, and ran an impressive 4.35 40-yard dash. While one of the knocks on Banks is how he handles receivers downfield, his 40 time should be enough to sell teams that it can be coached out of him.
Deonte Banks came out of high school as a three-star recruit and elected to stay local attending Maryland. On paper he has four seasons under his belt with them, however, two of the four were cut short. His sophomore year was cut short due to being the COVID year in which Maryland only played five games. In Banks’ junior season he was limited to only two games due to a shoulder injury. Despite not having a traditional experience, Banks still amassed over 1,000 snaps during his time at Maryland.
At times Banks demonstrated that he can be a true lockdown corner, flashing extreme physicality at the point of attack. He does, however, lack the desired ball-hawking skills that you would like to see from an elite corner. Only producing two interceptions in four years may scare away some teams from taking a chance on him. A deeper dive into the stats illuminates the reason why Maryland never backed down from putting him on the outside. Deonte Banks allowed only five touchdowns in four seasons. He may not be a ball hawk, but Banks can hold his own against the competition.
Strengths
- Excels in communicating with teammates both pre and post snap;
- Was an absolute rockstar at the combine with impressive metrics all around;
- Carries his physicality in the run game to the point of the catch, rarely gives up YAC;
- Went toe to toe with one of the best college players in Marvin Harrison Jr.;
- Physical frame of a safety which can lend itself to help him develop into a stronger player overall;
- Stats may not jump off the page at you, but a closer look at the numbers shows he got better every season.
Weaknesses
- Tendency to get handsy when he encountered double moves or in general downfield;
- Shoulder injury from the 2021 season will scare some teams away;
- Lack of development into a ballhawk, only two interceptions among four years of experience;
- Inconsistency getting off blocks in the run game;
- Needs to work on maintaining coverage when back is turned and hips are flipped.
NFL Comparison: L’Jarius Sneed
Teams With A Need: Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers
Projection: Round 2
Bottom Line on Deonte Banks
Deonte Banks is still raw as a prospect but he does flash the upside of a lockdown corner. At times he will panic on double moves and get handsy downfield, but this will likely be coached out of him at the next level. Banks has shown he has the athleticism to hang with receivers, and with the proper coaching, the ball-hawking skills will come. His physicality in the run game will give him a floor in a hybrid role if he struggles at the next level, but he will likely have a team take a swing on him that believes in his ability. A team that drafts Banks is getting a player that shines brightest when it matters most.
Main Photo: Jeff Hanisch – USA Today Sports
