2023 NFL Draft Profile: Deonte Banks

The former Terrapin showed that “speed kills” at the NFL Combine and looks to cement his position as a first-round selection this Thursday. 

Deonte Banks is a Baltimore, Maryland native who played both ways at Edgewood High School. While at Edgewood, he played running back and earned All-State honors accumulating 1,700 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior. On defense, he had 23 tackles, nine passes defended, and three interceptions (including one returned for a touchdown). This led to Banks being ranked as the no.12 athlete in the state of Maryland during the 2018 recruiting season.

Despite his stellar performance his senior year, he was only regarded as a three-star prospect and was not heavily recruited by Power Five schools. In fact, many of his offers came from Division II and FCS schools such as Delaware State, Elon, and Monmouth. Late in the recruiting process he received offers from Buffalo, Kent State, and the University of Maryland. When Maryland offered him a scholarship, he jumped at the opportunity to play for his “home school.”

His career at Maryland had peaks and valleys. He took the field immediately as a true freshman in 2019, appearing in 11 games with eight starts. He tallied 28 tackles with one interception and two pass break-ups.  With a COVID shortened sophomore year, he started three of the team’s five games. He missed most of his Junior season after injuring his shoulder during the second game of the season. This required surgery and in total he missed 11 games. Finally, he took the field and made a name for himself as a senior, earning Honorable Mention All-Big Ten as defensive back.

Strengths

Deonte Banks is a CB prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 9.99 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 3 out of 2212 CB from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/sEjE0GEVJ4 pic.twitter.com/Lwp2JFYWn7

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 14, 2023

Explosive traits: Banks earned national recognition at the NFL Combine where he completely blew away the competition. At 6’0″ and 197 lbs, he comes pro-ready with his height and weight combination. However, that isn’t the only appealing traits of Banks. While in Indianapolis, he clocked a ridiculous 4.35 40-yard dash, which ranked third in the competition (D.J. Turner, Jakorian Bennett). He also added a 42-inch vertical and an 11-foot-4 broad jump to boot. The latter skill is generally regarded as one that measures “explosiveness” and the former Terp scored in the 99% percentile of all cornerbacks going back to 1987. Considering all of these traits, and the fact that Banks has 30 games of collegiate experience in the Big Ten, there is no wonder why he is highly sought after.

Scheme Versatility: While at Maryland, Banks played primarily at outside corner, accumulating 618 snaps at this position in 2022. While doing this, he allowed only 26 receptions on 60 targets, or a 43.4% completion rate, which ranked fourth in the Big Ten. Banks is seen as a true athlete at the position, capable of playing both man and zone schemes. In fact, some analysts suggest that at the pro level, he can even fill in at the nickel position to cover oversized slot receivers.

Upside: If Banks had a criticism, the finger would be pointed at consistency. In 2020 and 2021, he played a total of seven games, not something you would typically see out of a prospective first-rounder. However, his film is intriguing.

If you were to characterize Banks’ best trait, it would be that he mirrors his opponents seamlessly. He is a fluid mover and can attach himself to the hip pocket of a receiver. In many of the games I watched, Banks would smother the wide receiver with blanket coverage and utilize the sideline as an extra defender. Then, if the ball did come his way, he would have the tenacity fight through the hands of the receiver and punch the ball out from his competition.

Banks has the height, weight, and speed you would like from a high-upside prospect. With refinement, he could be one of the premier CBs in this class.

Tenacity: Many in the Maryland locker room view Banks as a tone-setter on the defense. He is a willing run defender and not afraid to mix it up with his opponent This can be seen by his 38 tackles this season and 9 passes defensed this season. He was attributed with only one missed tackle this season according to PFF.

Weaknesses

Lack of Production: Although the physical traits are there, you would like to see more production from someone who is considered the third or fourth best corner in the draft class. He only has two interceptions total in his college career.

Injury History: In 2021, Banks suffered a season-ending shoulder injury during Maryland’s second game of the season. This injury required surgery and sidelined him for the rest of the season. In all, Banks did not play football for over a full calendar year going from 2021-2022 (357 days).

Consistency: Banks has received kudos for the way he played Marvin Harrison Jr. in his match-up against Ohio State this year. Harrison Jr. is generally regarded as the top-WR in college football, and is likely a top-10 selection next year. With Banks in coverage, the Buckeye standout was held to five catches and 68 yards.

However, this wasn’t the case all season. At times, Banks can get turned around and crossed up against more refined route-runners. This is the life of a cornerback, but if Banks wants to thrive at the next level, he needs to learn to recover cleanly. Last season, when caught up in negative position, Banks would be overly physical and bring attention to himself. He received five pass interference penalties last season, and three additional holding penalties.

Ideal Role

Boundary Corner with the autonomy to be physical:  Banks is a scheme versatile cornerback with appealing physical traits and ideal size. He is viewed as an ascending player and one who has the best years of production ahead of him. He just needs to be developed correctly and provided a defensive backfield that will allow him to take chances. At the NFL level, he will thrive as a true perimeter corner who can play man or zone coverage. His ideal fit would be a team that allows for him to press-up and mirror his opponent. If Banks is placed on a team with competent safety play, he could thrive as true blanket corner and will be a headache for opposing QBs for years to come.

Potential Fits

Banks is projected as a mid-to-late first round pick in this week’s NFL draft. Many project him as the third best cornerback behind Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon. Teams in this range in need of cornerback include the New England Patriots, Washington Commanders, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings. Banks could hear his name as early as pick 14 or as late as 23.

-George Carmi is the Managing Editor of Full Press Commanders. He covers the Washington Commanders and provides Fantasy Football coverage for Full Press Fantasy. Like and follow George on twitter: @GCarmi21 and @FPC_Commanders.