A Wide Array of Outcomes for Packers Vernon Scott this Summer

We know what the front end of the Green Bay Packers’ depth chart at the safety position is going to look like, but after Darnell Savage and Adrian Amos, we run into some real question marks.

While the third safety in Joe Barry’s defense won’t play as large of a role this season with the addition of Quay Walker at linebacker, the Packers still need someone who can play that hybrid role in the box, someone who can be the deep safety of Savage is in the slot, for example, not to mention special teams help.

Out of all the safeties on this current Packers’ roster behind Amos and Savage, former 2019 seventh-round pick Vernon Scott is the only one who has taken defensive snaps in the NFL.

The former TCU Horned Frog has good size, standing 6’1” and weighing 206 pounds. Scott saw a majority of his playing time take place during his final season, where he allowed a completion rate of 54% on 35 targets, although he gave up almost 16 yards per catch. Missed tackles were an issue as well.

Scott also came away with an interception and seven pass breakups—which tied for the seventh most in college football among safeties, according to PFF ($$). He was also very versatile, spending equal time at free safety, in the box, as well as in the slot.

Entering his third NFL season, whatever his draft profile had to say isn’t as relevant anymore, but for someone with little playing time, I do think it can still provide some insight into his game. Here is what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had to say in his pre-draft report:

"“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 a rookie, Scott made the Green Bay Packers roster, playing 90 defensive snaps while spending most of his time as the free safety or in the box. He was also on the field for 198 special teams snaps.

It looked like Scott was in store for a larger role in Year 2; however, an injury in training camp would play a role in derailing those aspirations. Scott would still make the roster but appear in only three games, all of which came on special teams. Practice time for any player early on in their career is vital, and the lack of that in his second season put Scott behind Henry Black on the depth chart–where he stayed all season.

Although Scott ended up inactive for a number of games last season, the Green Bay Packers never tried to release and move him to the practice squad. So to some degree, this does show how they feel about Scott, as they didn’t want to risk having him signed off the practice squad.

These next few months are going to be incredibly important for Scott. While finding a third option at safety is going to be on the to-do list for the Green Bay Packers, with less of a need for that role, special teams — where Scott played nearly 500 snaps at TCU — will also play a major role in determining the safety depth chart as well.

For Scott, there seems to be a wide array of possibilities for how this summer could play out for him. He could end up as the Packers’ third safety and see playing time. Or maybe he just makes the roster and sees little action as he did in 2021. Or perhaps, he ends up cut and on the practice squad or signing elsewhere.

Early on through OTAs and minicamp, it would appear that Shawn Davis is the front-runner for the team’s third safety role based on playing time and reps, but Scott has in-game experience, and there is something to be said for that.