Scouting Report: CB Deonte Banks
One of the fastest risers in this offseason, Banks is now a near unanimous projection as a first-round cornerback. Is Detroit a potential fit for him?
Background
It is also nice seeing guys stick around where they are from and become stars at their in-state school, and that’s the case here for this former Baltimore defensive back. Formerly a three-star recruit, he signed with the Terps in 2019 and ended up becoming a starter by the midway point in the season.
His 2020 season was obviously shortened by COVID, and also the Big Ten’s decision to cancel than restart their season. Of the five games that year, he made three starts, and then was injured for the other two. Banks’ unfortunate injury run continued into 2021 however, as a shoulder injury kept him off the field for the majority of the season, starting just two games before a season-ending injury.
He returned to the lineup healthy and ready to go in 2022, starting every game as a senior and having a terrific season. He tallied one of his two career interceptions against Indiana this past season, but largely was a coverage specialist who was not thrown at very frequently.
Banks’ Strengths
Banks is another guy who fits Detroit’s mold quite well, with excellent size and physicality playing in man coverage. Banks measured in at 6’0, 197 pounds at the NFL Combine, and quality arm length to go with it. His physicality shows up on film, consistently able to press opposing wideouts at the line of scrimmage. That is a necessary box to check off for Detroit to consider a cornerback.
But not only is it his size, but he’s a stellar athlete all-around, boasting elite reactionary athleticism and terrific speed. While Combine scores aren’t the ultimate authority on athleticism on the field, it is helpful to use his Combine numbers to underscore just how athletic the dude is. Banks pulled in a Relative Athletic Score of 9.99 overall, which pretty much means 99.9th percentile of all cornerbacks who have ever tested at the Combine. His 42’ vertical and 11’04” broad jump are particularly elite, and the 4.35 forty-yard dash also sticks out. He’s a freak athlete and it shows up on film.
The on-field athleticism most frequently shows up when asked to mirror wide receivers laterally. He remains in the pocket of the wide receiver at all times, and rarely gets shaken off of his tight alignment. Functionally, he’s the best athlete in this class in my opinion.
With that, shows a quick burst when closing on ball carriers or transitioning assignments in coverage. Very quick athlete in short space movements as well as long speed.
His FBI (football intelligence) is high. Some corners who are more man-heavy tend to struggle passing off players in zone, but Banks is very precise with it, and shows a firm understanding of scheme and the play-calls being asked of him. His teammates have said he’s a very good on-field communicator as well, which is a plus.
His run defense is largely good. No one in the class sets the tone as much as Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon, but Deonte Banks certainly is not a slouch there. I think he does a nice job fighting through blocks on screens and such, and specifically has shown he can redirect outside or inside of blocks with enough physicality to force ball carriers a specific direction.
What Banks Could Improve On
The biggest thing for Banks is going to be his overall consistency and discipline in his technique. Banks shows out with some stellar reps on one snap but then might rush his footwork or start scrambling the next play. That usually tends to just be a sign that better coaching is needed, and Maryland is not exactly a powerhouse program where teams expect to find finished products.
Some of that tends to show up when Banks is diagnosing the route in front of him. His reads are a bit slower than desired, though that is often something good coaching can help with.
I think Banks could also stand to be a bit more balanced at the line of scrimmage. Sometimes he will be too tall, or strike from an unbalanced position, which tends to lead to false steps as he tries to recover his balance while turning and running with the receiver.
This is more just a concern as a whole but Banks has missed time in multiple seasons with injury. He missed two of five games in the shortened 2020 season, and then was out for most of 2021 as well with a shoulder injury. Durability is tough to project from level-to-level, but two injury shortened seasons should raise a flag for the medical team to evaluate prior to selecting them.
Another small note right there but Banks lacks ball production, with only two interceptions throughout his career. The example here shows Banks in decent trail position, but rather than turning his head to the ball and contesting it cleanly, he keeps his head the wrong way and draws a penalty instead.
Quotes
I always check Lance Zierlein’s scouting reports because he often has quotes from anonymous NFL sources to share. That’s the case with Banks:
“He’s one of my favorite cornerbacks I’ve studied. He’s going to be a really good pro.” -- Area scout for NFC team
Additionally, here is a link to Deonte Banks speaking at the 2022 Maryland Football Media Day.
How He Fits in Detroit?
This one is fairly simple, much like Christian Gonzalez’s fit here. Banks is a clear cut outside cornerback who checks nearly every box that Holmes has historically prioritized when selecting cornerbacks. With veteran CB Cameron Sutton coming in as sort of a CB1/2 in Detroit, Banks would hopefully develop into a high-end CB1 on the other side.
I think in either scenario in 2023, whether it be Banks, Gonzalez, or Devon Witherspoon, or some other cornerback, the Lions would probably aim to let Sutton handle the top cornerback obligations, let their rookie develop and pick their opportunities a bit better, and hopefully develop them quickly into a top-end CB1, sliding Sutton more into a CB2 role within a year.
For Banks, he would likely be able to step in and play at a solid level early however, given his experience and more well-rounded game. Particularly, Maryland mixed up their coverages quite a bit, meaning he will have familiarity and experience in several different assignments. The learning process should be a bit quicker for someone with that diverse schematic background. As mentioned, his consistency will need to be ironed out, so expecting a Sauce Gardner-like rookie year from any cornerback, let alone Banks, is a bit unreasonable. There will be some busts for him in Detroit early one no doubt, but getting him established, coached up, and building towards his upside early on should be helpful. And with Detroit rolling with both Jerry Jacobs and Jeffrey Okudah on the outside as well, the Lions do not need to force Banks into anything right away.
So overall, a very natural fit in Detroit’s scheme, and a very good player to add. Banks has been rising up boards, but right now projects in the late-teens, early twenties on most mock drafts. This would make him an excellent option to pair with an early selection of a defensive lineman, for example.