Welcome to the 16th daily installment of the NFL Draft 1-through-32 series on DK Pittsburgh Sports, intended to introduce you, a prospect at a time, to the top 32 players in the class on a consensus basis, leading right up to the main event.
That, of course, will be April 27-29, in Kansas City, Mo., though all 32 teams, including the Steelers on the South Side, will operate from their local headquarters.
NO. 16: DEONTE BANKS
Maryland cornerback
Banks is the No. 16-rated player on Pro Football Focus' big board. Banks is lauded for his versatility within schemes and, after being graded as the most athletic cornerback to test at the NFL Combine, could be just what the Steelers are looking for with pick No. 17.
COLLEGE BACKGROUND
The honorable mention All-Big Ten selection won't have much statistically that will pop off of the paper, but he still posted solid numbers for a Maryland defense which was middling among Big Ten teams. He recorded 38 total tackles, eight pass breakups, one interception, and one-half sack last season.
He sat out all-but two games of the 2021 season due to a shoulder injury.
Out of high school, the Edgewood, Md., native Banks was a three-star prospect who chose to stay home among six offers.
Maryland was his lone Power Five offer; the rest were from Buffalo, Delaware State, Elon, Kent State, and Monmouth.
NFL COMBINE, PRO DAY
Banks measured at 6-foot, 197 pounds with a 31 3/8-inch arm length and a 9 3/8-inch hand width at the NFL Combine. He ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash while jumping 42 inches vertically and 11 feet, 4 inches on the broad jump, giving him an athleticism grade of 98, first among Combine cornerbacks.
Among Combine cornerbacks, his his vertical was first, his broad jump was second, and his 40-yard dash time clocked in third.
Banks did not test at Maryland's pro day.
Here is a comparison of Banks' measurables, which put him in a class among former Defensive Rookie of the Year and four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore.
Deonte Banks' closest athletic comparison is Saints CB Marshon Lattimore. Similar size, speed, and explosiveness so far. Banks has yet to perform at his pro day so we don't know if his agilities will match him up with someone else.https://t.co/nR1Y7vsy7f pic.twitter.com/0Vsis5znub
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 20, 2023
MOCK DRAFT
The USA Today mock draft consensus tracker has Banks going at No. 19 overall to Tampa Bay, with an average draft slotting at 20.0. Our own latest mock draft has Banks as an option for the Steelers at No. 17, but ultimately going to Baltimore at No. 22.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
THE STEELERS' STANDPOINT
Banks is definitely on the Steelers' radar, notably because he visited the South Side as one of the team's top 30 visits last Tuesday. All 32 teams were at his pro day, so he will be one of the most coveted players in this draft. If the Steelers value this position and Banks' status among the rest, then this could one of the "do whatever it takes to get him" type of players, even if that means trading up to get him.
COREY'S TAKE
If it isn't Devon Witherspoon or Christian Gonzalez, it might as well be Banks at No. 17. This draft class is absolutely loaded with cornerbacks, and Banks stands out among that upper echelon. The Steelers know him, and he knows the Steelers. I would have absolutely zero issue with seeing him off the board and hopping on a plane to western Pennsylvania at the end of the month. Fitting him on the opposite side of the field from and giving him the opportunity to learn from Patrick Peterson would be dream-come-true stuff from Banks' standpoint, and he would have a chance at starting right away over Ahkello Witherspoon and Levi Wallace on the outside. A win-win pick.
THE REST
1. Alabama QB Bryce Young
2. Georgia DT Jalen Carter
3. Alabama DE Will Anderson Jr.
4. Kentucky QB Will Levis
5. Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud
6. Florida QB Anthony Richardson
7. Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon
8. Texas Tech DE Tyree Wilson
9. TCU WR Quentin Johnston
10. Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez
11. Northwestern OT Peter Skoronski
12. Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
13. Pitt DT Calijah Kancey
14. Iowa DE Lukas Van Ness
15. Utah TE Dalton Kincaid
