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Picture
Photo by Eric Evans-Eric Evans Photography
Games
Tackles
Tackles for Loss
Sacks
Pass defended
Interceptions
Forced Fumbles
Touchdowns
37
172
2.0
0.0
10
11
2
0.0
40 Yard Dash
Bench Press
Vertical Jump
Broad Jump
3-Cone Drill
20 Yard Shuttle
​N/A
16 Reps
35 Inches
120 Inches
N/A
N/A
The 2021 Oregon defense has been one of the best in college football with talent all over the unit and Verone McKinley III playing on the back end has been a big reason for Oregon's success. At 5'11" and 195 lbs., Verone McKinley III brings phenomenal athleticism and football IQ to the safety position. He's as pure a free safety as you'll find in the draft with his coverage prowess and excellent instincts. He does a great job of keeping his eyes on the quarterback from the snap till when the ball is thrown and is very reactive when the pass is made. He doesn't get fooled by pump fakes or look-offs and has a great nose for the football. He's extremely versatile for a free safety as he is often used as an outside corner, slot corner, and occasionally a strong safety.
In zone coverage, he plays with great range and bursts on the back end. He has good route recognition at the snap and takes care to limit any false steps in coverage. He has sideline-to-sideline range and has shown the ability to make plays anywhere on the field. He can cover a large area, both on the back end and in-the-box, and possesses excellent burst in his lower half to get to the play quickly. He takes good angles when attacking the pass and does a nice job of disrupting at the catch point. He has excellent quickness and agility and has shown little issues with changing direction and turning on a dime. He has great explosiveness in his lower half and going vertical for football or going from 0-60 has been a non-issue for him. In man coverage, he does a great job staying patient at the beginning of the route and not biting on sluggos or quick hitches. He has a smooth back pedal and keeps his pad level low, allowing to change direction with more explosiveness. He has more than enough quickness and agility to match shifty receivers, whether he's playing outside or in the slot. He has good hip flexibility to turn and run up field if caught on a deep route and has enough speed to keep up. He has outstanding ball skills at free safety with his ability to leap up and snag interceptions at the high point. He has great hands to reel in passes and takes excellent angles on throws to ensure that he not only comes down with the turnover, but also has some room to make a play. He's aggressive on contested catches and will scratch and claw to either come down with the ball or dislodge it. He can hit people when he has a clean shot and can knock footballs onto the turf. He has a clutch gene in him late in games as he's always somehow involved in critical plays for Oregon, checkout his game-ending interception against Ohio State. He's a smart high effort player for Oregon's defense and his play at safety is a huge reason for their success this season. 
 
His biggest flaw by far is tackling ability both in the open field and with backup. He doesn't tackle ball carriers head on and when forced to do, he tackles too high and doesn't bring any momentum behind him. He doesn't wrap up ball carriers consistently and his lack of strength and size often makes it difficult for his bring them down. He didn't blitz very much in college with Oregon simply choosing to rush four down lineman with Kayvon Thibodeaux off the edge and occasionally Noah Sewell.  Although it has minimal effect on his production, having Kayvon Thibodeaux, who'll likely go #1 overall in 2022, rushing off the edge and creating pressure on the quarterback consistently does allow him to take advantage of bad passes and as well as face limited deep passes down field. Although he has dislodged footballs from ball carriers, he doesn't go after the ball enough when making tackles and having that become a more consistent part of his game will help him in his career. 
 
Verone McKinley III would be the perfect player for a team in need of a roaming free safety. His versatility to play corner and range as a safety make him a great pick for a team in need of assurance on the back end. He has the range, instincts, and football IQ to succeed in the NFL and a good combine and workout during the draft process could shoot him up draft boards. If he can fix his tackling issues and develop into more of a blitzer, he could be a quality NFL starter early in his career.
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  • Home
  • Offseason
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    • Quarterback >
      • Malik Willis
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      • Matt Corral
      • Desmond Ridder
      • Sam Howell
      • Carson Strong
    • Running Back >
      • Kenneth Walker III
      • Breece Hall
      • Hassan Haskins
      • Jerome Ford
      • Max Borghi
      • Kyren Williams
      • James Cook
      • Isaiah Spiller
      • Tyler Allgeier
    • Wide Receiver >
      • Drake London
      • Treylon Burks
      • Jahan Dotson
      • Chris Olave
      • Garrett Wilson
      • Christian Watson
      • George Pickens
      • Calvin Austin III
      • Jameson Williams
      • Skyy Moore
      • Jalen Tolbert
      • Alec Pierce
      • Wan'Dale Robinson
      • Khalil Shakir
      • David bell
      • John Metchie III
      • Kyle Phillips
      • Erik Ezukanma
      • Romeo Doubs
      • Justyn Ross
    • Tight End >
      • Trey McBride
      • Jelani Woods
      • Greg Dulcich
      • Charlie Kolar
      • Jeremy Ruckert
      • Chigo Okonkwo
      • Isaiah Likely
      • Cole Turner
      • Cade Otton
      • Jalen Wydermyer
    • Tackle >
      • Ikem Ekwonu
      • Evan Neal
      • Charles Cross
      • Trevor Penning
      • Nicholas Petit-Frère
      • Bernhard Raimann
      • Daniel Faalele
      • Max Mitchell
      • Rasheed Walker
      • Tyler Smith
      • Abraham Lucas
      • Braxton Jones
      • Tyler Vrabel
    • Guard >
      • Zion Johnson
      • Kenyon Green
      • Dylan Parham
      • Cole Strange
      • Sean Rhyan
      • Darian Kinnard
      • Jamaree Salyer
      • Ed Ingram
      • Chris Paul
      • Thayer Munford
    • Center >
      • Tyler Linderbaum
      • Zach Tom
      • Cam Jurgens
      • Alec Lindstrom
      • Luke Fortner
    • Defensive Tackle >
      • Jordan Davis
      • Devonte Wyatt
      • Perrion Winfrey
      • Travis Jones
      • Logan Hall
      • DeMarvin Leal
      • Phidarian Mathis
      • Josh Paschal
      • Eyoima Uwazurike
      • Matthew Butler
      • Zachary Carter
      • Otito Ogbonnia
      • Thomas Booker
      • Haskell Garrett
      • Neil Farrell Jr.
    • Edge Rusher >
      • Aidan Hutchinson
      • Travon Walker
      • Kayvon Thibodeaux
      • Jermaine Johnson II
      • George Karlaftis
      • David Ojabo
      • Boye Mafe
      • Cameron Thomas
      • Arnold Ebiketie
      • Sam Williams
      • Nik Bonitto
      • Drake Jackson
      • Jeffery Gunter
      • DeAngelo Malone
      • Kingsley Enagbare
      • Myjai Sanders
      • Isaiah Thomas
    • Linebacker >
      • Devin Lloyd
      • Nakobe Dean
      • Leo Chenal
      • Christian Harris
      • Darrian Beavers
      • Malcolm Rodriguez
      • Channing Tindall
      • Damone Clark
      • Chad Muma
      • Quay Walker
      • Jojo Domann
      • Brandon Smith
      • Brian Asamoah II
      • Troy Anderson
    • Cornerback >
      • Ahmad Gardner
      • Derek Stingley Jr.
      • Andrew Booth Jr.
      • Kaiir Elam
      • Trent McDuffie
      • Kyler Gordon
      • Marcus Jones
      • Roger McCreary
      • Coby Bryant
      • Alontae Taylor
      • Zyon McCollum
      • Martin Emerson
      • Jack Jones
      • Cam Taylor-Britt
      • Mykael Wright
      • Akayleb Evans
      • Jermaine Waller
      • Josh Jobe
      • Derion Kendrick
    • Safety >
      • Kyle Hamilton
      • Daxton Hill
      • Jalen Pitre
      • Jaquan Brisker
      • Lewis Cine
      • Bryan Cook
      • Kerby Joseph
      • J.T. Woods
      • Nick Cross
      • Verone McKinley III
      • Smoke Monday
      • Kolby Harvell-Peel
  • Monthly Mock Draft
    • Round 1
    • Round 2
    • Round 3
  • About Me