NFL draft profile: Florida CB Vernon Hargreaves, undersized ballhawk

Shutdown Corner is counting down the top 50 prospects in the 2016 NFL draft with a scouting report, quotes from NFL evaluators and a projection where they might be drafted.

8. Florida CB Vernon Hargreaves III
5-foot-10, 203 pounds

Key stat: Compiled 28 passes defended and 10 interceptions in 35 starts over his three seasons.

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The skinny: Blue-chip high-school prospect and son of a coach (Arkansas LB coach Vernon Hargreaves Jr.) who won litany of prep awards coming out of Tampa area. Started final 10 games as a freshman and never left starting lineup thereafter, playing left cornerback and often matchup up with opponents’ top receivers. He also showed potential to return punts and kickoffs in brief duty, but primarily made his mark as one of the best shutdown corners in the country. Hargreaves was a Thorpe Award finalist in 2015 despite knee and back problems slowing him down and opponents often throwing away from him.

Hargreaves has elite coverage skills despite lacking ideal size, although he helped himself some by measuring in above 5-foot-10 and weighing in at a sturdy 204 pounds at the NFL combine. That did not hurt him in athletic drills, where he turned in exceptional numbers in the vertical jump (39 inches) and broad jump (10-foot-10) and a respectable 4.50-second 40-yard dash. His hand size (8.75 inches) and arm length (30.625 inches) are sub-standard for outside corners in the league.

Best-suited destination: Even with those limiting measurables, most teams believe Hargreaves can line up at left corner from Day 1 and be an impact player. He can play a variety of coverages and doesn’t appear to have a glaring weakness in any of them. Hargreaves was attacked on double moves successfully by some teams, so a team with rangy safeties really could help bring out the best in him.

Reason he’ll rise in draft: In a class that has good length and size in other cornerbacks, we could see a team that badly needs to generate turnovers be more infatuated in Hargreaves than, say, Florida State’s Jalen Ramsey (three college interceptions) or Clemson’s Mackensie Alexander (zero). What Hargreaves lacks in size he makes up for in ball production, and he’s highly competitive, driven, coachable and intelligent. One of his former coaches said that Hargreaves understands offensive concepts as well as he does coverages, which makes sense given that he grew up immersed in the game.

Reason he’ll fall in draft: In a league where taller, longer corners are all the rage, Hargreaves could fall behind Houston’s William Jackson and be the third corner drafted, with Ramsey roundly believed to be the first defensive back off the board. If Hargreaves ever loses a step, he doesn’t have elite speed to begin with, so that really could be a problem.

Scouting hot take: “He’s aggressive. It’s his ball when it’s in the air. I could see Dick LeBeau loving the guy. Go up and get it, whatever coverage [they’re in].” — NFC defensive coordinator

Player comp: Somewhere between Joe Haden and Josh Norman

Expected draft range: Top 15 pick

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