Vikings Select Maryland CB Deonte Banks in Daniel Jeremiah's New Mock Draft

There are quite a few cornerbacks who have been mentioned as possible fits for the Vikings with the 23rd overall pick in this year's NFL draft, from Joey Porter Jr. (Penn State) and Cam Smith (South Carolina) to sleepers like Emmanuel Forbes (Mississippi State) and Kelee Ringo (Georgia).

Here's another name to keep in mind: Maryland's Deonte Banks. In the latest mock draft from NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah, the Vikings take Banks at 23.

In this scenario, the top two corners in the class — Devon Witherspoon (Illinois) and Christian Gonzalez (Oregon) — go in the top 14. Porter goes two picks later at 16. Those are the only three true corners (Alabama's Brian Branch is more of a CB/S hybrid) off the board when the Vikings' pick comes up. That means they can take anyone from the next tier of corners, which includes Smith, Banks, Forbes, Ringo, and perhaps even a riser like Miami's Tyrique Stevenson.

Jeremiah thinks Banks is the best fit.

"Banks has good size, and I think you’ll see his stock rise as the evaluation process unfolds," he writes. "The cornerback is physical and tough."

Physical and tough are two traits that new Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores figures to target in his players, particularly at the cornerback position. Banks had eight passes defended, an interception, 0.5 sacks, and 38 tackles in 12 games last year as a senior. The 6'2", 205-pound Maryland product has shown the ability to effectively play press coverage and disrupt receivers at the line of scrimmage. He's physical, but he also has the fluidity to stay with quick receivers in man, which is something Flores' defense requires.

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