From now until the 2023 NFL Draft takes place, we hope to scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top 10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today I’ll be profiling Maryland CB Deonte Banks.
#3 Deonte Banks/CB Maryland – 6001, 197 lbs. (Redshirt Junior)
Combine/Shrine Bowl  invite
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Deonte Banks | 6001, 197 | 9 3/8 | 31 3/8 | N/A |
| 40 Yard Dash | 10 Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.35 | 1.49 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 11’4″ | 42 | N/A |
The Good
— Good size, lacks ideal length but put together with enough muscle
— Great straight-line speed that matches his testing
— Carries vertical routes well and rarely beat over the top
— Does well to get his head around and find the ball, competitive at catch point
— Drives through underneath throws with size and frame to make plays on the football
— Shows physicality to jam receivers in bump and run coverage
— Lacks great physicality but willing-enough tackler who can play the run and make stops in open field
— Experience at both outside cornerback spots, played field and boundary side
The Bad
— Shows some hip stiffness when asked to change direction in press-man
— Has trouble mirroring in-breaking routes and gives up space at the break point
— Not a forceful tackler who drags down, lacks a powerful punch and can play run game with more urgency
— Too often stuck on stalk blocks in the run game and struggles to disengage, loses contain and needs to seal edge to force runner inside
— Finds ball but struggles to finish, didn’t make many high-impact plays
— Can get grabby at the top of routes downfield, leading to penalties
— Doesn’t have overwhelming production with only one season of good numbers
— Lacks experience and skillset to play in the slot
— Has not played a ton of snaps
Bio
— Roughly 25 career starts for the Terps, left school a year early
— Started in only five games across 2020 and 2021 seasons
— Career: 83 tackles (0.5 TFL), 11 PDs, 2 INTs, 0.5 sacks
— 2022: 38 tackles (0.5 TFL), 8 PDs, 1 INT, also blocked extra point returned by teammate for two-point play versus Ohio State
— Underwent shoulder surgery two games into 2021 season, missing the rest of the year
— Two-star recruit from Edgewood, Maryland, chose Maryland over Buffalo, Kent State, Delaware State, and Seton Hill
— Ran track in high school, had 10.96 personal/school record in the 100-meter dash, had a personal best 22’8″ in the long jump
— Cousin, Antwain, played football at Lincoln University, two played high school football together and are very close, playing football together since they were six
Tape Breakdown
Deonte Banks turned heads at the 2023 NFL Combine with an impressive workout. You see the numbers above, a 4.35 40, 42-inch vert, and 11’4″ broad. Eye-catching numbers but not surprising ones considering his track background and what he was doing in high school. A couple of years in a Power 5 program and I don’t bat an eye that he jumped out of the gym.
On tape, Banks is competitive on vertical throws and rarely allowed a downfield completion. Marvin Harrison Jr. got him once on a diving catch, he did that to virtually everybody, but otherwise, Banks made plays downfield. Watch him get his head around here to avoid a penalty and knock away the pass. LCB, bottom of the screen here.
Watch him here plaster this route to the bottom, get his head around, and break up the downfield throw.
He can also drive on underneath routes, too, using his size to help play the ball on curls. LCB, bottom of the screen here.
Banks has enough size and bulk to tackle in the open field. He’s not overly physical and needs to improve against the run but there’s enough there to not make him a liability in space.
But you see some hip tightness in his game when asked to change directions and defend underneath routes. Here, you see the space he gives up on this in-cut off the initial outside release. Top of the screen here. High throw bails him out.
And Banks is prone to getting stuck on stalk blocks in the run game, needing to do a better job to discard and get involved. He’s never going to be terrible against the run but never as good as you’d want either.
Conclusion
Given his tightness, he’s an ideal fit in a Cover 3 scheme where he can carry and match routes vertically while not having to break down and defend in-cuts. He can use his closing speed and size to drive on comebacks and curls and keep a lid over the top. Banks is more of a linear athlete with clear talent and hasn’t played a ton of football over the last three years, just 19 games, so there should be more meat on the bone when it comes to rounding out his play.
I might be a bit lower on Banks than where he could get selected but my NFL comp is a recent one but Florida’s Kaiir Elam, a late first-round pick last season.
Projection: Late Day One-Early Day Two
Depot Draft Grade: 8.2 – Future Quality Starter (2nd Round)
Games Watched: at Michigan (2022), vs Purdue (2022), vs Ohio State (2022), at Wisconsin (2022), at Penn State (2022)
