2022 NFL DRAFT PROSPECT REPORT

McKinley_III_Verone

Film Watched: Fresno State 2021, Ohio State 2021, UCLA 2020

Pro's:

  • Instinctive safety who seems like he knows what’s coming on every snap
  • Ultimate playmaker. 11 interceptions for Oregon, including 6 in his final season in Eugene
  • Elite reader of route combos, and prioritises each threat to his zone
  • Eye discipline is outstanding. Total observance of the outlets, but keeps tabs on the QB too
  • Impressive short-area agility. Backpedals to landmarks smoothly, and lateral range is good
  • Devastating click and close to the catch point, taking good angles to meet the football on time
  • Forceful tackler who throws all his weight into contact. Not intimidated by bigger opponents
  • Refuses to yield yards after the catch

Con's:

  • Small, and lacks the true play strength to compete consistently with the bigger NFL receivers
  • Lack of length will be more exposed at the next level in his tackling and ball skills
  • Not a candidate for a role near the line of scrimmage. Outmatched physically
  • Long speed isn’t sufficient to ride shotgun on deep threat receivers in man coverage roles
  • Measurables raise durability concerns

The Verdict:

“Verone McKinley is a natural ball hawking safety whose understanding of the game is quite clearly superior to the other twenty-one players on the football field. The way he diagnoses plays quickly makes you think he’s got a copy of the opponent’s playbook in his head, and he has the quick-twitch and movement skills to get to where he needs to be and make plays. McKinley’s draft stock is limited due to his prohibitive size and length - not only will scouts be concerned about how competitive he can remain, but it also limits the roles in which he can operate. McKinley is undoubtedly best served in a high safety role, and putting him in a lot of two-deep schemes will negate any perceptions about his long speed. A candidate to outperform his draft range, McKinley is a playmaker who will turn heads in the NFL.”
Mock Draft
Simon Carroll
Head Of NFL Draft Content

NFL COMPARISON: JORDAN WHITEHEAD

PREDICTION: 4TH ROUND PICK

Mock Draft

SIMON CARROLL

HEAD OF CFB/NFL DRAFT CONTENT

PREVIOUSLY THE FOUNDER OF NFL DRAFT UK, SIMON HAS BEEN COVERING COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND THE NFL DRAFT SINCE 2009. BASED IN MANCHESTER, SIMON IS ALSO CO-CREATOR & WEEKLY GUEST OF THE COLLAPSING POCKET PODCAST.

5/5