Dallas Cowboys Mock Draft: 5 first round possibilities at 26
By Reid Hanson
Rd1:26 the Dallas Cowboys select…
Deonte Banks, CB
The Dallas Cowboys have a need at cornerback they can’t ignore. Just because Stephon Gilmore claimed that massive vacancy at CB2, doesn’t mean the position isn’t a problem. Both Gilmore and Trevon Diggs are free agents after this season. Dallas WANTS to re-sign Diggs but it’s going to reset the market and that could be an issue for them.
Getting a starting caliber player lined up will help them survive negotiations and/or a potential holdout. At the very least it will seamlessly replace Gilmore at CB2. The 2023 NFL Draft happens to feature a strong round 1-2 of options and Dallas would be wise to take advantage of it.
Deonte Banks is someone who’s been on our radar from the start. At 6-foot, 200 pounds, Banks is one of the bigger cornerback prospects in the class. He’s physical, strong, and willing to tackle making him a good complement to Diggs who shies from the running game.
His 4.35 speed places him in the top tier of boundary cornerbacks capable of covering the NFL’s fastest on an island. Despite the thick build, Banks is freakishly fluid and able to change direction and mirror receivers with loose hips and click and close explosion.
Much needs to be cleaned up with Banks but he has a great set of tangible traits you can’t teach and has an elite ceiling that makes him sure to go in the 20s.