Green Bay Packers: Scouting Report on Safety Vernon Scott

With pick 236 in the NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers selected TCU safety, Vernon Scott. Here is what Gutekunst and one draft analyst had to say about his game.

The Green Bay Packers‘ penultimate selection in the 2020 NFL Draft was the lesser-known safety from TCU, Vernon Scott. Although he wasn’t a household name by any means, it is Scott’s versatility that makes him an ideal fit for this Mike Pettine defense.

Just two short years ago the safety position in Green Bay was a complete mess. However, with the addition of Adrian Amos in free agency who helped provide that much-needed stability, along with Darnell Savage who flies around the field, this position was revitalized in 2019.

But this is a Green Bay Packers’ defense that plays with three safeties on the field more often than not and they are in need of some added depth. In addition to Amos and Savage, Raven Greene gives them a physical presence in the middle of the field who can also drop into coverage if needed at the hybrid linebacker position.

Unfortunately, Greene missed just about all of last season, and while he is expected to play a big role in 2020, it is worth pointing out that Greene has only played in 10 NFL games. So he’s certainly not a sure thing at this point, although his return to action will be a welcomed sight.

Enter Vernon Scott who will still have to fight for a roster spot as a seventh-round pick, but that versatility that I mentioned above is something that absolutely plays in his favor. After the draft, here is what GM Brian Gutekunst had to say about the selection:

"“We really like his versatility. He’s got a little bit of that ability to play safety but he can cover in the slot a little bit. He’s a little of a late bloomer, some struggles to get through the early part of his college career but once he took off this year, we just really liked his upside.”"

During his career at TCU, Scott would appear in 35 games over the last three seasons, including 12 starts, and most recently in 2019 he would total 44 tackles, seven pass breakups, along with an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.

When on a call with media members after the draft, Scott had this to say about his game and what he brings to Green Bay:

"“My game is, I’m a very rangy guy. I’m a very versatile guy. I think being able to show my athleticism on the defense in many ways throughout the Packers defense. I’m a versatile guy. I can play deep, I can come down and guard tight ends, running backs, come off the edge. I did all of that at TCU, so I feel like I’m a very versatile player. I can be used many ways in the Packers defense.”"

Now that we’ve heard from Gutey and Scott, let’s take a closer look at Scott through the eyes of an NFL draft analyst. Here is what Lance Zierlein of NFL.com had to say in his final scouting report prior to the draft:

"“Traits-based prospect with good height, weight, speed and length but lacking consistency on tape to pair with those traits. Scott isn’t an enforcer by any means, but he does have the frame and toughness to get ball-carriers down when needed.His experience covering the slot adds to his value, but he does have man-cover limitations and he’s not equipped to play single-high safety. He’s average at several things but doesn’t carry many pluses from a performance standpoint. He will need to step up his game to nail down a role.”"

As is the case with any seventh-round pick, Scott is still a bit raw and he is going to have to prove that he deserves a spot on the final 53-man roster. With that said, he’s a very good fit for the Green Bay Packers’ defense, and as we saw last year, having extra depth at the safety position with Scott’s skill-set would be a nice addition.

All quotes and stats from Packers News, Forbes, NFL.com, and TCU Athletics