It’s time to make a few upgrades, and one downgrade, of prior player analyses for the Ravens 2023 draft.
Upgrade: Deonte Banks (cornerback)
More tape study of Banks convinced me that he has all of the ability to become a dominant press cover corner. He brings a great punch at the line, with one or both hands. His transitions are very smooth out of press coverage. This man can turn his hips and mirror all the way down the field. Banks offers great body balance and body control at the catch point. He is a very good tackler. Where he’s lacking to date is in ball productivity. For all of his skills, it was surprisingly absent. But make no mistake, he has elite man cover skills.
Upgrade: Tank Dell (wide receiver)
It’s not so much that I have new things to say about Dell. Rather, it’s just every tape I look at shows Dell getting separation. It’s quite extraordinary. I’d be very satisfied if he somehow wound up on the Ravens.
Upgrade: Adetomiwa Adebawore (defensive line)
The Ravens are thinking about Adebawore a little differently than probably others. They asked him to do linebacker drills for them at the Combine. This 282 pound man ran a 4.49 forty. Could he wind up as an edge linebacker selection in, say, round three? I think he has the agility to make a full transition. He could be your Pernell McPhee, Zadarius Smith, or Courtney Upshaw type player who sets a hard edge but can rush from the inside/outside (well, maybe not Upshaw). With that in mind, I have to elevate Adebawore.
Two Running Backs
Israel Abanikanda – The Ravens had a formal interview with Abanikanda, which puzzled me a bit. What are they seeing that I don’t. To review, he has home run speed, no doubt. But if he has to create holes at the line of scrimmage, or if he has to power for yardage at all, forget about it so far. He’s very young so one hopes there is room for upside here. But he’s an upright runner without leg drive who is simply a one cut and go. He averaged a terrible 2.7 yards per carry after contact, and had only the 64th best missed tackle rate and only 46 forced missed tackles. On the flip side, most of his yards came before contact. Now he’s best suited for an inside zone scheme, but at this point there is no way that he’s the next Gus Edwards. He plays much smaller than his size.
Deneric Prince – I think Prince is flying a bit under the radar. His initial full report is worth reviewing. Tape review of Prince showed a man who runs with good balance at 216 pounds and is really tough between the tackles. He is the type of player who runs like Gus Edwards, although much faster (ran a 4.41 forty). Prince struggles a bit getting to the edge. Like Gus he is one cut and go. And he could stand to run with a lower pad level. But he brings power and juice on the inside. Towards the bottom of the draft board he’s a player I like.
Downgrade: Joey Porter, Jr. (cornerback)
This is not so much a function of something negative I found regarding Porter. It’s just that the more I consider his skillset, the more I believe he’s overrated as a first round – and by many a higher first round – prospect.
Great as always