The Dallas Cowboys have one of the better defenses in the NFL. But, there's always room for improvement. 

One area where the Cowboys can get better is at cornerback. Yes, they have All-Pro Trevon Diggs, and 2022 fifth-round pick DaRon Bland who led the team with five interceptions, but outside of those two, the Cowboys need more.

In a film room session conducted by James Foster of AtoZ Sports, he highlighted the skills of Deonte Banks out of Maryland, and there was plenty to swoon over. 

"He had a breakout season in 2022," Foster said. "On 60 targets he allowed 26 receptions for 258 yards and four touchdowns and he had eight pass breakups and an interception.

"He's dominant in press coverage. He plays with really good leverage at the line of scrimmage and that makes his punch so effective because he's playing with lowering pad level than the receiver." 

Those are certainly some enticing traits. 

As is the case with any cornerback that's being evaluated, teams want to see what they do against high-level competition. Well, last season Banks put some strong reps together against the Ohio State Buckeyes. 

"You can see on this play against Ohio State he lands a two-hand punch. The receiver is trying to work an inside release but Deonte Banks's pad level is so much lower he just bench presses him seven yards backwards and doesn't even let him get into his route."

A very important part of a cornerback's game is how he plays on passes that go downfield for potential big plays. In a rep against SMU, Foster spoke on how Banks can get the job done in these situations. 

"I really like Deonte Banks's composure playing the catch point deep downfield. He has great balance and body control to avoid unnecessary contact and then he can get his head turned around and make a play on the ball."

Speaking of SMU, Rashee Rice is one of the better receivers in the upcoming draft. In another rep versus the Mustangs, Banks put the clamps on him.

"This is a really nice rep against Rashee Rice. He's initially playing this fade route into the end zone and then when he sees Rashee Rice looking back for the football, he does a great job repositioning, squaring up the receiver, and then instead of playing the ball through the receiver he works over the top and breaks up the pass with minimal contact."

Of course, there's more to being a cornerback than just coverage, they need to be able to tackle as well, especially in the open field. Foster mentioned how Banks can provide that while also bringing up something he can get better at.

"And then he's also an extremely reliable tackler. He only had one missed tackle on 36 attempts in his senior year. And he shows flashes as a run defender. You see his press coverage ability at times when he's engaging with blocks, but I still wanna see more consistency in that aspect of his game."

Foster mentioned as well that ball skills and being able to catch the football aren't the best aspect of Banks's game seeing as he only had two interceptions in college. However, he's physical, technically sound, and has the speed (ran a 4.35 in the 40-yard dash at the combine) to be a productive cornerback on the NFL level. 

The full breakdown by Foster on Banks can be seen here.