The 2023 NFL Draft came and went, and a pair of cornerbacks from Maryland found themselves on an NFL roster. At the 24th-overall pick in the draft, Deonte Banks heard his name called as the New York Giants selected him. Much later, at pick 104, Dave Ziegler and the Las Vegas Raiders took Banks’ counterpart Jakorian Bennett. Exactly 80 picks separated the pair of corners, and with such a large gap between the duo, it might feel obvious who the better prospect is between the two.
Things aren’t always as they appear, however.
From completion percentage surrendered to overall yards allowed, both corners posted near-identical numbers in many categories during the ’22 season. Standing only an inch apart and having a 40-time separation of just .05 gives the pair a comparable height and quickness as well.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg, though.
Statistics, grades, skillsets and builds – these are some of the comparisons you can expect to find here. We’ll touch on all the numbers, courtesy of Pro Football Focus, giving a better idea of how close these two prospects actually are. Who knows; by the end of it, you might find yourself happier with Jakorian Bennett than you would’ve been with Banks.
Comparing 104th-overall pick Jakorian Bennett to his first-round counterpart
Fans want to know the numbers when it comes to cornerbacks. How many yards did they allow? What completion percentage did they give up when targeted? How many times were they targeted? Touchdowns allowed? Passer rating when tested? What about their pass breakups and interceptions?
Don’t worry, Raider Nation. We’ll get to all of that – and more.
Completions allowed
Banks: 26
Bennett: 24
Targets
Banks: 60
Bennett: 54
Completion percentage allowed
Banks: 43.3%
Bennett: 44.4%
Yards allowed
Banks: 258
Bennett: 309
Pass breakups
Banks: 13
Bennett: 9
Interceptions
Banks: 1 (1 in last two seasons)
Bennett: 2 (5 in last two seasons)
Touchdowns allowed
Banks: 4
Bennett: 0
Passer rating when targeted
Banks: 71.4
Bennett: 47.5
Most of these numbers are neck-and-neck, but it’s impossible to ignore the difference in touchdowns allowed, creating a noticeable discrepancy in passer rating when targeted. With only six less targets, Bennett allowed zero touchdowns (four less), giving him a lower QB rating by 23.9.
Another thing that stands out is Bennett’s superior ball-skills. With five interceptions since 2021, four more than his counterpart Deonte Banks, Jakorian’s knack of creating turnovers shines bright.
The grades (via PFF)
PFF grades aren’t every fan’s cup of tea, but they do have merit. If a player has a grade in the 80s or 90s, you can bet they were great during the season in question. Conversely, if a player’s grade in a specific category hits the 40s or 50s, that area was a struggle for them.
That in mind, let’s check out some grades.
Coverage grade:
Banks: 74.3
Bennett: 70.3
Run grade:
Banks: 57.7
Bennett: 73.1
In coverage, the two earned a grade separated by only 4.0. Against the run, however, Bennett earned a grade 15.4 higher than Banks.
Here are their individual grades against key components in 2022.
University of Michigan
Banks: 67.7
Bennett: 55.2
Purdue
Banks: 68.9
Bennett: 72.1
Penn State
Banks: 51.6
Bennett: 69.4
Ohio State
Banks: 61.9
Bennett: 56.5
Some may question Purdue as a “notable opponent”, but when your quarterback, wideout and tight end each get drafted, your offense is certainly noteworthy. Dave Ziegler and the Raiders agreed when they took Aiden O’Connell in the fourth-round.
How about the highs and lows? We’ll take a look at the three highest, and three lowest graded games for each.
Highest
Banks: 75.3 (Wisconsin), 74.2 (Indiana), 70.8 (Charlotte)
Bennett: 86.1 (Buffalo), 80.3 (North Carolina State), 72.1 (Purdue)
Lowest
Banks: 51.6 (Penn State), 53.7 (Buffalo), 61.1 (Michigan State)
Bennett: 52.5 (SMU), 54.3 (Wisconsin), 55.2 (University of Michigan)
If you want to take something away from this, note how Bennett achieved a grade in the 80s twice. On the other side of things, Banks peaked at 75.3. Since this is a legitimate player comparison and not a sales pitch on why Bennett is the better player, it would be wrong to skip over Bennett earning a grade in the 50s five times while Banks did just twice.
Time for the next section.
Versatility – Jakorian Bennett vs. Deonte Banks; who does more?
It’s no secret that versatility is a major part of Patrick Graham‘s philosophy. Since joining the Raiders’ coaching staff, he’s made it clear his desired players are those who can do multiple things. Luckily, PFF has noted how many times each of the two has played at various positions this past year.
Outside corner snaps
Banks: 618
Bennett: 533
Inside corner snaps
Banks: 13
Bennett: 83
Snaps in the box
Banks: 37
Bennett: 67
Snaps playing ‘deep’
Banks: 5
Bennett: 18
This might be the biggest difference between the two. Not only does Jakorian Bennett do [a lot] more, but he’s also on the field more.
Finally, let’s check out some measurables from this year’s Combine.
Height
Banks: 6’0
Bennett: 5’11
Weight
Banks: 197
Bennett: 188
40-time
Banks: 4.35
Bennett: 4.30
Vertical
Banks: 42
Bennett: 40.5
Broad jump
Banks: 11-4
Bennett: 11-1
Hands
Banks: 9.38
Bennett: 9.13
Arm length
Banks: 31.38
Bennett: 31.88
Standing an inch taller and weighing nine more lbs, Deonte Banks has the slight size advantage. Beyond that, Banks also has the bigger hands, better vertical and better broad jump. Bennett, however, logged the better 40-time and has the longer arms.
Let’s be clear – nothing is designed to serve as a shot at Banks, nor is anything written to boost-up Bennett. At its core, the purpose of this is to compare a pair of phenomenal players. All-in-all, these are two incredible cornerbacks, and Maryland should be proud to claim the duo.
If you’re a fan of the Raiders, you should be proud to claim Jakorian Bennett.
*Top photo:
Grading 2023 Raiders Draft Class: The QB Hunter, DE Tyree “The Nightmare” Wilson