FanPost

2016 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Vernon Hargreaves III, DB

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Vernon Hargreaves III has always been a step above his peers even back to high school, when he was named the National Defensive Player of the Year as a senior by the Columbus Touchdown Club. As a true freshman, Hargreaves came into the SEC and immediately excelled, which is not an easy thing to do. VHIII tied Janoris Jenkins's Florida freshman record with 11 PBUs and earned 1st Team All-SEC honors, which he would go on to do again the next two years. His sophomore and junior years, Hargreaves was an All-American and on the cusp of being a true shutdown corner.

Playing in the SEC, Hargreaves has faced the likes of Amari Cooper, Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry, Kelvin Benjamin, Laquon Treadwell, and other great receivers, so he's plenty familiar with the caliber of competition he'll be facing in the NFL. The Florida star is the best pure CB in not only this years draft, but the past few, exhibiting every quality of a great NFL CB. Hargreaves has some of the best footwork you will ever see, and it's apparent his football IQ is through the roof. One of the highest praises you can give to a corner is that he understands how to play corner. It may seem simple, but so few actually do, which is why there are so few very good ones. VHIII truly understands how to play corner.

School: University of Florida
College Experience: Junior
Age: 20
Ht/Wt: 5-10/204 lbs
Measurements: 4.48 40 Yard Dash 1.58 10 YD Split
39 Vertical
10'10" Broad
15 Bench
3.98 Shuttle

Career stats: 31 PBUs, 10 INTs

Strengths

  • Elite footwork
  • Explosive movement skills
  • Reads and breaks on routes quickly
  • Can play any kind of coverage at a high level: Off, press, zone
  • High football IQ
  • Can mirror any receiver
  • Very agile
  • Clearly studies patterns and often knows where the ball is going
  • Puts himself in excellent position to catch the ball, sometimes better than the receiver
  • Highly confident
  • Fluid hips
  • Great body control
  • Excellent ball skills
  • Eagle eyed
  • Incredibly high mental resiliency
  • Jumps well enough to make up for his height
  • Attacks ball at its highest point
  • Aggresive and willing run defender
  • Plays fearless
  • Baits QBs well
  • Well built and should be able to hold up for 16 games
  • Experience as a kick and punt returner
  • Shut down most receivers he played across from
  • Played against star NFL WRs in college

Weaknesses

  • Very short for an outside NFL CB
  • What looked like him getting burned on deep balls was really him eyeing the QB and guessing too much
  • Average strength
  • Aggressive tackling style could lead to injury as well as being baited by double moves
  • Eyes the QB too much at times
  • Doesn't have great recovery speed
  • Short arms may spell trouble against bigger NFL receivers

NFL Player Comparison: Joe Haden, CLE

How He Fits

Like Haden, Hargreaves isn't the biggest CB, but there is not one person on this planet who can say these two guys don't give it their all. Hargreaves aggressiveness is a blessing and a curse, but it helps him more often than not. Hargreaves has the physical skills that will allow him to be near the ball at all times, and his ball skills are top class. VHIII's most underrated yet important asset is his understanding of the game, and that's why I believe he'll be a pro bowl corner sooner rather than later.

His movement skills and football acumen are leaps and bounds ahead of a majority of NFL DBs already, but size and recovery speed concerns have him dropping in some analysts eyes. One possibility is Hargreaves switching to FS in the NFL. It's rare that a top 16 pick is asked to switch positions, but Hargreaves' skill set indicates that it may be a distinct possibility. A team hoping to find the next ETIII will be intrigued in VHIII, as they not only have strikingly similar names, but similar skill sets as well. With all this safety talk, Trent Baalke is probably getting interested.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors.