The Pittsburgh Steelers have been heavily linked to cornerbacks for this upcoming draft, whether it be a homecoming Joey Porter Jr. would welcome with open arms if he falls to pick 17, or one of Devon Witherspoon or Christian Gonzalez from the top tier at the position in this class. Still, the team should be cautious according to an insider of the rising stock of the University of Maryland's Deonte Banks after his combine performance.
Official numbers for Maryland CB Deonte Banks
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) March 3, 2023
40-yard: 4.35 (92nd percentile)
Vert: 42” (97th percentile)
Broad: 11’4” (98th percentile)
That athleticism absolutely shows up on tape as one of the best coverage players in that class. First round playerpic.twitter.com/ebfvn25dak
Photo credit Tork Mason-USA TODAY NETWORK
Deonte Banks is one of the many options the Steelers have at defensive back with some of their early picks in 2023.
Steelers insider Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette can see why Banks has garnered interest for the pick at 17 and why the organization could pull the trigger, but ultimately cautioned against him and said if the team is forced to go to what he deemed the second-tier of corners in this draft, he'd be more comfortable with the University of Georgia's Kelee Ringo.
"With Banks, there's a lot to like. He's the top corner in terms of pure athleticism score," Batko said. "We know over the years the Steelers are big into that. They like guys who have the traits because Mike Tomlin's big on trying to coach them up."
Steelers' Warning Signs From Past On Athletic Corners
While the combine can be an excellent tool for NFL teams to confirm some of the things players had put on tape in college, it can be dangerous to fall in love with some shiny statistics it produces. Batko cautions back to the tale of 2016 when the Steelers ended up taking combine star, Artie Burns.
Photo Credit: Michael Conroy/Associated Press
Steelers cornerback Artie Burns never really developed into an NFL cornerback despite the raw talent.
"That's the needle they tried to thread with Artie Burns, and it went so poorly," Batko said about the situation with Banks. "He doesn't have a ton of impressive film. It would be a bit too big of a swing for me at pick 17. At that first second-round pick, it's a lot more palatable because I feel like, Ok, I'm taking a guy who has all the tools that we want and we think we can develop him, but if it doesn't work out, it's not a botched first round pick, but a risk worth taking for potentially a high reward."
A similar option to Banks if the team is keen on getting a raw talent they can develop would be Mississippi State corner Emmanuel Forbes, but like Burns, he also might be someone to be weary about in the first round due to the concerns about his weight at the combine at just 166 lbs.
Making a trade in the first round could be a real possibility and if the Steelers truly want one of the top cornerbacks from the class, that might be the only way to go. The team might be left with choosing from the likes of Ringo, Banks, or Forbes.
So, Steeler Nation, which corner do you think the Steelers should target in the draft? Would you trade up to get one of the top-tier guys? Are you happy taking one of the more 'project' type guys with not a first-round pick? Let us know in the comments or on social media.
#SteelersNation
