Player: Deonte Banks

School: Maryland

Measurables:

• Height: 6’0” (NFL Combine)
• Weight: 197 (NFL Combine)

• 40: 4.35(NFL Combine)
• 10 Yard Split: 1.49(NFL Combine)
• Bench: DNP
• Vertical Jump: 42”(NFL Combine)
• Broad Jump: 11’4”(NFL Combine)
• 3 Cone: DNP
• 20 Yard Shuttle: DNP
• Other Notes: Banks measured in 2” shorter, and almost 10 lbs lighter than what he was listed as on ESPN. Regardless, he was one of the biggest winners from the combine in my eyes.

Graded Position Specific Traits:

• Man Coverage: 6.75/10
• Zone Coverage: 6.5/10
• Field Vision: 6.5/10
• Tackling: 6/10
• Run Support: 4/10
• Range: 5/10

Prospect Grade: 34.75/60; 57.9%- High end back up/okay starter with room to grow and develop into something much better

Projected Draft Day: Round 2

Player Comparison: Rasul Douglas

Player Summary:

Deonte Banks is a CB prospect that seems to have come out of nowhere. One day you haven’t really heard of him, and the next he’s being thrown into first round mock drafts. I can kind of see why people like him, and it primarily has to do with his size for a CB, but his tape is up and down. I felt like he did relatively well against Marvin Harrison Jr. in the Ohio State game, but I felt like Charlie Jones picked him apart in the Purdue game. From what I could tell, he probably played like 85-90% of Maryland’s defensive snaps, but there were also times where it felt like he was truly in like a three man rotation at the CB position.

Starting with the positives, as I stated before, Banks has pretty good size for a CB. He was also a good tackler, nothing special though. It’s kind of interesting, but Banks seemed to be really good when it came to scramble drills, and just having to stick his man trying to get open. Coverage wise he was good, not great. I think Banks definitely has some upside depending on the scheme he gets drafted into and/or the coaching he receives.

Now onto some of the issues I saw with Banks. The first note I wrote down about him was that he does not look fast. I don’t know if I would necessarily call him “slow”, but he’s probably got average speed. His footwork isn’t awful, but it definitely needs work. He doesn’t show the ability to break on routes. On hitches, curls, comebacks, etc he doesn’t look like he can change direction and break on the route. On double moves or even single move routes(outs, digs, etc) he rounds out the route, he doesn’t really show an ability to plant his foot in the ground and run the route with the receiver. In zone coverage, his eyes can be in the backfield a little too long at times, and cause him to lose the receiver. 

His spatial awareness could also use some work. I can’t remember what game it was(maybe Ohio State?), he was man on the receiver in press with an OLB aligned next to him, and when the ball was snapped the receiver ran a drag underneath the OLB and Banks turned and ran right into his teammate like he had no idea he was there.

Banks also reads run fine, like he can identify when it’s a run play pretty quick, but it looks like he wants no part of it a lot of the time. He will show no sense of urgency to get there or even run down the backs on run plays even if he is one of the closest defenders. There is a play against Penn State, I believe it was like 4th & 1 at the Maryland 20 or so yard line. It’s a hand off to Singleton who finds a hole in the “car crash” of the line of scrimmage, and Banks is in a pretty good spot to make a tackle for minimal gain. However, Banks doesn’t close on Singleton who breaks through the hole. Singleton runs past Banks who tries to grab his shoulder pad to make a tackle and gets carried about 10-12 yards on his way to scoring a TD. He was the last Maryland defender in a position to stop Singleton and he STILL showed no desire to fill the gap. It was really not a good look for him, in my opinion. 

UPDATE 3/11:

Banks proved me wrong about his speed as he ran a 4.35. Banks overall had a really strong combine, and looked good in the positional drills. He answered a lot of questions and disproved a lot of my notes from his tape. I changed his draft projection from a late Round 2- Round 3 player to a Round 2 projection. I wouldn’t be surprised if Banks is taken in the back end of the first round based on his athletic upside. He still has some developing to do though.