Deonte Banks NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Maryland CB

HEIGHT: 6'0"

WEIGHT: 197

HAND: 9 ⅜"

ARM: 31 ⅜"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 4.35

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: 42"

BROAD: 11'4"

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POSITIVES

— Has the speed to run and match receivers downfield. Has loose hips and very good body control to sink his hips to get in and out of breaks.

— Great at squeezing receivers to the sideline and getting his head around to find the ball. Doesn't panic downfield with the ball in the air.

— Versatile enough to play in multiple schemes, as well as to align in off and press coverage.

— Very good in run and screen game. Shows anticipation and quick reaction. Physical player when taking on blocks and is quick to disengage.

— Willing tackler who comes up quickly to fill gaps in the run game and delivers a good blow.

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NEGATIVES

— Can play high in backpedal and when breaking at times, causing him to be slow when transitioning.

— Occasionally guesses in press coverage, causing him to get caught leaning at times.

— Can struggle closing the gap on in-breaking routes and can get stacked downfield, allowing receivers to box him out on catches.

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2022 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 38 TOT, 0.5 TFL, 1 INT, 8 PD

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NOTES

— 2022 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten

— 2021 season-ending shoulder injury

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OVERALL

Deonte Banks is a twitchy cornerback who plays with good technique and has high football IQ. He has a good size and frame to play in the NFL.

Banks has been getting significant playing time from his freshman year in 2019, although he had a season-ending shoulder injury in 2021. Some of the knock on him has been his lack of production throughout his career.

Banks has great traits to be a man corner. He has the ability to play from both press and off coverage and has the physicality and temperament to reroute receivers at the line of scrimmage. When covering intermediate to shorter routes, he has loose hips and quick feet when breaking. He shows great anticipation, especially when screens are thrown his way.

When covering receivers downfield, he does a great job of matching speed and quickly getting in phase to run receivers off their line. He gets his head around to locate the ball and stays calm while attacking the ball in the air. However, he does sometimes struggle to make plays through the receiver. He often gets stacked downfield or is slow to close the gap when in off coverage.

As a run defender, Banks shows his physicality when taking on blocks. He quickly comes up to support the run, using his hands to control blockers and quickly discarding them to play the ball-carrier. He makes good reads and knows how to shoot gaps while filling running lanes. A willing tackler, he does a good job of getting ball-carriers on the ground while occasionally delivering big blows.

Ultimately, Banks is one of the better cornerbacks in this year's draft. After performing well at the combine, he has elevated himself to being in the argument for a Day 1 pick. Depending on which team picks him, he will have a chance to compete for early playing time as an outside cornerback.

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GRADE: 7.6 (Potential Impact Player)

OVERALL RANK: 36

POSITION RANK: CB5

PRO COMPARISON: Byron Murphy

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings