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Johnthan Banks | Cornerback

Team: Mississippi State Bulldogs
Age / DOB:  (25) / 10/3/1989
Ht / Wt:  6'1' / 185

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Recent News

Buccaneers selected Mississippi State CB Johnthan Banks with the No. 43 overall pick.
Banks (6-2, 185) is a lean, long-armed (33 7/8") corner who earned the 2012 Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back. (The last four Thorpe winners are Mo Claiborne, Patrick Peterson, Eric Berry, and Malcolm Jenkins.) Banks' stock took a hit when he ran 4.61 at the Combine and managed only 10 bench reps, and his game tape is only above average with a tendency to get beaten deap. It's possible Banks will eventually move to safety in the NFL; he played some safety in the Bulldogs' nickel and dime packages. Initially in Tampa, expect Banks to compete with Eric Wright at right cornerback. Fri, Apr 26, 2013 07:27:00 PM

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Johnthan Banks - DB - Bulldogs

NFL.com's Gil Brandt cites sources who believe the Jaguars are leaning towards selecting Mississippi State CB Johnthan Banks with pick No. 33.

Some have suggested a quarterback here, while others believe with pick will be FIU safety Johnathan Cyprien. Banks certainly fits what Gus Bradley wants on the edge, in terms of a long corner with the ability to press. Banks actually ran a lot of Cover 3 at Miss State and showed nice ball skills to undercut patterns.
Source: Gil Brandt on Twitter
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 01:13:00 PM
Johnthan Banks - DB - Bulldogs

Mississippi State's Johnthan Banks did not make SI NFL writer Chris Burke's top five players at the position.

Burke lists Dee Milliner and Xavier Rhodes as the top two corners, followed by Desmond Trufant, Jamar Taylor, and Jordan Poyer. In fact, Burke notes that Banks is the prospect "falling" at the position. "You can make an argument that he’s actually the second best Mississippi State CB available, behind Darius Slay," Burke writes. "Both are very talented defensive backs, but Slay has done more since the end of the season."
Source: Sports Illustrated
Tue, Mar 26, 2013 12:32:00 PM
Johnthan Banks - DB - Bulldogs

National Football Post's Dan Pompei writes one GM believes Mississippi State CB Johnthan Banks' length overcomes his lack of speed.

"The workout was definitely a concern for Banks," one general manager told Pompei. "But I think he can overcome his speed issues with his length. He picks off balls and makes plays." Pompei adds that Banks is likely a second-round selection next month. We agree that Banks' length will be a significant help for him in the NFL.
Source: National Football Post
Wed, Mar 20, 2013 02:59:00 PM
Johnthan Banks - DB - Bulldogs

Mississippi State CB Johnthan Banks improved his forty time to an unofficial 4.51 and 4.52 at the school's Pro Day.

Banks ran an unofficial 4.59 at the NFL Combine, leading many to question if he could stick at the cornerback spot. The time isn't dreadful, and Banks thrived in playing a lot of cover 3 at Mississippi State. You can rarely teach an edge corner how to be as aggressive as Banks plays, so he might project best in a press scheme.
Source: Tony Pauline on Twitter
Wed, Mar 6, 2013 12:34:00 PM
Johnthan Banks - DB - Bulldogs

National Football Post's Russ Lande writes Mississippi State CB Johnthan Banks impressed in interviews but not on the field.

"Banks did not struggle throughout the entire Combine as he handled himself extremely well in team interviews. During meetings with teams he showed excellent football intelligence, the ability to think quickly and good overall character," Lande writes. "Unfortunately, when it came to the physical workout, Banks struggled and definitely raised concerns about his athleticism." Banks will be working with a speed coach to improve his speed for his March 6 pro day.
Source: National Football Post
Thu, Feb 28, 2013 02:29:00 PM
Johnthan Banks - DB - Bulldogs

NFL.com's Gil Brandt reports Mississippi State CB Johnthan Banks will work with a speed coach to improve his speed.

Banks has a pro day set up for March 6, which will be a very important day for him. He ran an official 4.61 40-yard dash and hurt his stock. He played in a lot of off-man and soft zone coverage in college, which may have protected his lack of foot speed. We'll monitor how he runs at his pro day, although we expect a much better time because players usually run faster on pro days.
Source: Gil Brandt on Twitter
Wed, Feb 27, 2013 08:58:00 PM
Johnthan Banks - DB - Bulldogs

Mississippi State CB Johnthan Banks ran an unofficial 4.59 forty at the NFL Combine.

Banks' 10 yard split clocked in at 1.59 seconds. The long corner was featured in a lot of cover 3 in college, so his speed was hidden quite often. However, Banks has a great frame and loves to take chances undercutting routes, and the combination resulted in a lot of success.
Tue, Feb 26, 2013 11:04:00 AM
Johnthan Banks - DB - Bulldogs

Detroit Lions GM Martin Mayhew is seeking fast CBs at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Mayhew noted that not all teams are looking for the same type of cornerback. "I think if you’re bigger, I think there may be a little bit of wiggle room in terms of your actual time," Mayhew said. "It depends on how you’re going to play a guy, too. If you want to play a Cover 2 scheme or play a lot of press-man you’ve got a guy with some length that can disrupt routes at the line of scrimmage, that helps. But we like fast guys." He mentions interest in Mississippi State cornerback Johnthan Banks, Washington's Desmond Trufant and Florida State's Xavier Rhodes.
Source: Detroit Free Press
Mon, Feb 25, 2013 07:13:00 PM
Johnthan Banks - DB - Bulldogs

Former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah says the 40 yard dash is the "most crucial" for CBs.

"It's possible to hide slow players at just about every position in the NFL ... except at cornerback," Jeremiah said. "If you can't run at this position, the ball will find you, and the results will be less than ideal." Jeremiah goes on to list FSU's Xavier Rhodes and Mississippi State's Johnthan Banks as players who must run well to solidify a first round pick.
Source: NFL.com
Thu, Feb 21, 2013 04:39:00 PM
Johnthan Banks - DB - Bulldogs

Albert Breer of the NFL Network says the 2013 draft's "sweet spot" is at the end of the first-round.

"Few guys with top 10 grades, tons (with) low-1st (round) grades," Breer writes. This goes in accordance with what other reports have said, stating the difference in talent is not drastic. We expect a large number of prospects to earn second-round grades.
Source: Albert Breer on Twitter
Wed, Feb 20, 2013 01:19:00 PM
Johnthan Banks - DB - Bulldogs

One anonymous scout tells Pro Football Weekly that Mississippi State CB Johnthan Banks is "a lot like Richard Sherman."

"He reminds me of the type of corners they have playing in Seattle," the scout said of Banks. "He can play off or on and is not bad off, but that’s not his deal. He is a press cover guy. Everyone wants a big man corner... For a long guy, he can come out of breaks." Banks did play some man coverage in college, but a large portion of his time was spent in a cover 3 zone, where he could break on targets underneath him.
Source: Pro Football Weekly
Fri, Feb 8, 2013 04:57:00 PM
Johnthan Banks - DB - Bulldogs

Mississippi State CB Johnthan Banks has accepted an invitation to play in the Senior Bowl.

Perhaps the best senior corner in an adequate group of positional talent, Banks will definitely be one to watch during individual drills. The Bulldog is long and athletic, but a number of his big plays came from leaving his downfield route and jumping shorter patterns. It will be interesting to see if he thrives in either man or zone coverage, or even both.
Source: Senior Bowl on Twitter
Wed, Dec 26, 2012 04:59:00 PM
Johnthan Banks - DB - Bulldogs

Mississippi State will face Northwestern in the Gator Bowl on January 1.

For the Bulldogs, Johnthan Banks is likely the top senior corner in the country, but up front defensive tackle Josh Boyd should be draftable and guard Gabe Jackson is rumored to possibly be declaring. For Northwestern, running back Venric Mark has been a surprise all season long.
Source: ESPN
Thu, Dec 6, 2012 02:15:00 PM
Johnthan Banks - DB - Bulldogs

Mississippi State has a plus-15 turnover ratio this season, which leads the FBS in the category.

The Bulldogs have forced 18 turnovers while only giving up three. The two main contributors have been senior corners Darius Slay and Johnthan Banks. Slay intercepted four passes in the first three weeks of the season while Banks has three on the season himself.
Source: ESPN
Wed, Oct 17, 2012 05:29:00 PM