Vernon Hargreaves III, CB, Florida: 2016 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Nov 7, 2015; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators defensive back Vernon Hargreaves III (1) during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the Vanderbilt Commodores 9-7. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Cover corners are among the most prized commodities every year, in free agency or coming out of college. The 2016 NFL draft has its share of good ones, and no names can be mentioned without Vernon Hargreaves III. Where does his scouting report put him?

Position: CB

School: Florida

Year: Junior

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 199 lbs

History:

He comes from the southern half of Florida that is notorious for producing some outstanding athletes. Hargreaves was a great football player and also a great track & field competitor in high school. Experts ranked him as the best defensive back in the country entering college.

As a freshman he was All-SEC, starting 10 games and had three interceptions. A year later he was an All-American and this season he has a career-best four interceptions despite missing two games.

STRENGTHS:

• No hesitation when driving down on runs or screen passes to his size.
• Good at using his hands to shed blockers and make the tackle.
• Solid tackler. Uses proper technique to wrap up the ball carrier and flashes a little bit of violence.
• Physical in press coverage. Smothers the receiver initially but has the awareness to disengage before the five-yard mark.
• Strong hands. Can make the interceptions look routine and has also logged time as a receiver and punt returner.

This isn’t the greatest interception ever but it demonstrates what Hargreaves does well. Namely good vision, awareness of where he is and soft hands to snag the football. He played it perfectly, knowing the offense needed a first down, so he stayed right in front of the marker, daring them to test him deep. They didn’t, and he made them pay.

• Smooth in his backpedal. No wasted motion and doesn’t bite on receiver fakes. A terrific athlete.
• Has the speed. He can run with receivers deep or catch running backs from behind on breakaways to prevent touchdowns.

WEAKNESSES:

• There is no getting around his height. He’s just not overly tall. Bigger receivers will be able to outreach him from time to time.
• Can get caught looking in the backfield, making him susceptible to double moves.

In this situation Hargreaves is in off man coverage. The quarterback is given enough time to give a slight pump fake. At the same time the receiver pulls a double move and Hargreaves bites just enough to get caught. If the pass were on target, that’s an easy touchdown.

Pro Comparison: Darrelle Revis

Everything from size, to speed to athleticism and calm swagger match up here. Darrelle Revis might’ve been slightly better in coverage coming out of college while Hargreaves is a better run defender but their skill sets are mirrors of each other. If VH3 wants to reach Revis Island level, he’ll have to work on his discipline though.

Projection: 1st Round

Unless he suffers some sort of untimely injury or has some background information people don’t yet know about, Vernon Hargreaves III is going in the 1st round of the 2016 NFL draft and probably going in the top 10. He’s that kind of proven talent.