Overview
Position: Cornerback
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 199 pounds
School: Florida Gators
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.50 seconds
Bench press (225 pounds): 15 reps
Vertical jump: 39 inches
Broad jump: 10 feet, 10 inches (third-best among cornerbacks)
Vernon Hargreaves 2016 NFL Draft Profile
What you see is what you get with Vernon Hargreaves. Coming out of high school, Rivals.com rated him as the second-best overall prospect in the nation. The Tampa, FL native was the crown jewel of a loaded 2013 recruiting class for the Gators under then head coach Will Muschamp. It’s no surprise then that three years later his skill set is highly coveted by pro scouts.
It didn’t take Hargreaves long to make an impact in Gainesville. As a true freshman, he started ten games and was one of few bright spots on a Gators team that finished 4-8. His three interceptions led the team and he tied a school record for a true freshman with 11 pass breakups. He was named to the SEC all-freshman team, made first team all-conference and even garnered third-team All-American honors by the Associated Press.
In 2014, he continued to develop a reputation as one of the SEC’s top shutdown corners. He tallied another three interceptions while also breaking up 13 passes which was tied for 12th best nationally. A year later, he would add four more picks and finish eighth in the nation with 152 yards off interceptions. All the while, the Gators would finish in the top 20 in scoring defense both seasons. In 2015, Hargreaves was named a consensus all-American.
Strengths
- elite level athleticism and acceleration.
- excellent fluidity in hips which enables him to mirror receivers well.
- phenomenal vertical explosiveness gives him edge in the air on contested passes.
- great tackler who rarely gives up yards after catch.
- will prey upon quarterbacks who telegraph passes with their eyes.
- fierce competitive streak who rarely takes a play off.
- stayed healthy throughout entire college career.
- can play on special teams as both a return man and blocker.
Weaknesses
- decent frame and build but not prototypical.
- height could pose problems against tall feature receivers.
- has a tendency to get too separated from receivers on comeback routes.
- can get burned off double moves when in off-man coverage.
- overly physical in run support; could pose injury risk at next level.
- was a relative non-factor in Florida’s blowout loss to Michigan in the Citrus Bowl.
NFL Comparison: Casey Hayward
Teams with Need at Position: Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Projection: top ten pick
Bottom Line
Other than potentially Jalen Ramsey, you’re probably not going to find a more pro-ready defensive back than Hargreaves. His competitive fire and exceptional athleticism make him a highly coveted pro prospect. He lived up to all the recruiting hype and then some while at Florida. As a result, expect him to be off the board fairly early on day one of the draft.
