Jason Verrett 2014 NFL Draft scouting report

“Being a smaller guy means I’ve got to play a lot smarter,” Verrett said. “You’re going to have to have better technique, not try to focus too much on getting your hands on guys and moving your feet, stay square.”

Ball skills

Verrett’s ball skills are part of what makes him such a great cornerback. He has both the leaping ability and instincts to attack the football at the catch point and break up passes. Verrett finished his career at TCU with nine interceptions and 43 passes defended, which is testament to his aggressive nature in coverage and ability to get his hands on the football. Verrett has shown the ability to locate the football in the air and react in a hurry. When going after the football, Verrett looks natural and comfortable.

Coverage ability

While some are concerned about his size, Verrett’s compact frame gives him some of the quickest hips in this class of cornerbacks. He mirrors receivers with ease and anticipates routes very well. His ability to change direction is a huge asset in coverage, especially when he was asked to play on an island, which was often. While press coverage isn’t Verrett’s strength, he has the speed to turn and run with receivers when he has to. More than anything, Verrett is a cornerback who shows tremendous instincts and anticipation. His aggressive style led to a lot of big plays for TCU over the last few seasons.

In the NFL, Verrett may make more sense for a team that runs zone coverage or more off-man coverage. When playing close to the line of scrimmage, Verrett doesn’t have the physical tools to dominate. He has average length and isn’t very strong on contact when attempting to jam a receiver at the line. Verrett wins when he can read and react using his short-area quickness, not when he’s playing press coverage.

Instincts/recognition

As touched on above, Verrett is an extremely instinctual player in the passing game. He anticipates routes and reads the quarterback’s eyes very well. In addition to having the mental approach to the game down, Verrett is so quick in short areas that he is able to react and make plays on the football more often than not. The combination of his physical skill set along with his preparation and natural instincts for the position makes him a tough player to get separation against.

Run support

Run support is one of the weaknesses to Verrett’s game. He doesn’t shed blocks particularly well and seems to struggle to find the ball in the backfield at times. He also doesn’t demonstrate great tackling technique on a consistent basis, which may have been because of a shoulder injury in 2013. Still, Verrett will need to improve this area of his game at the next level.

Final word

Verrett grades out as our top-ranked cornerback for the 2014 NFL Draft. He may not have the physical tools, but Verrett is outstanding in all other areas of his game. Teams that don’t look past his size will end up missing out on a really good player. Granted, Verrett won’t be a fit for every scheme, but he’s a player who can move around the formation as a nickel back or play boundary corner on an island in the right coverage scheme. Plenty of corners Verrett’s size have succeeded in the NFL, so his height shouldn’t scare people off.