Senior Bowl Spotlight – Jason Verrett, CB TCU – 2014 NFL Draft
Alex Dunlap, Rosterwatch.com

Jason Verrett, CB TCU
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 180 pounds
NFL Comparison: Brandon Boykin
40 yard dash: 4.46 (estimated)
Player Notes: (via TCU athletic department)
First-team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation and FOX Sports … received second-team All-America accolades from a multitude of outlets, including Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, SI.com and USA Today … the Co-Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year by the conference’s head coaches … first-team All-Big 12 … ranked by ESPN.com as the No. 1 player in the Big 12 … a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist and Lott IMPACT Trophy quarterfinalist … invited to the Senior Bowl … despite not many balls being thrown his way, he ranked second in the Big 12 and tied for seventh nationally with 1.5 passes defended per game (two interceptions, 14 pass breakups) … since the start of the 2012 season, he topped the nation with 38 passes defended (eight interceptions, 30 pass breakups)

Scouting Notes:
Jason Verett is a pick-six waiting to happen and has been a menace to the receiving weapons in the current arsenals of Big 12 opponents. Verrett is opportunistic and physical. He plays bigger than his listed 5’10” and possesses excellent closing speed.

Verrett has an ability to become involved in unforeseen contested matchups for the ball from long distances with superior suddenness. It isn’t just in his speed, though. It’s in shifts and twitches and natural athleticism coupled with speed. As you see in the chart, Texas WR and fellow Senior Bowler Mike Davis has trouble with Verrett. It’s because Davis is used to getting separation, and when he does, he isn’t used to Verrett’s closing speed.

Verrett is an opportunistic player, who like Johnthan Banks in 2013, has a ballhawking nature that we believe cannot really be taught along with skill-specific-training by position coaches. Due to this opportunism, though, we have seen through Big 12 play moments where Verrett was burned with designed double moves, getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

In run support is where Verrett’s smallish size can be become a bit of a concern. Evaluators will rarely find an instance of Verrett getting off a block to make a play, but solace can be taken in the fact that, even for his size, Verrett seems to be a willing and adept tackler in the open field when given an unimpeded route to the ball carrier.