Kaevon Merriweather NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Tampa Bay Buccaneers' UDFA S
HEIGHT: 6'0"
WEIGHT: 212
HAND: TBD
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ARM: TBD
WINGSPAN: TBD
40-YARD DASH: TBD
3-CONE: TBD
SHUTTLE: TBD
VERTICAL: TBD
BROAD: TBD
POSITIVES
— Rocked up player with good size. Possesses very good functional strength in all aspects of the game.
— Thrives as a box defender. Plays the run well with good reads and physicality. Ability to track the ball carrier and sort through the trash.
— Has the ball skills needed to locate and play the ball in the air.
NEGATIVES
— Choppy back-pedal. Hip tightness shows up in coverage. Struggles to swivel hips or open and run.
— Lacks desired twitch. Can take a couple steps to get going, causing him to lose angles and create separation.
— Poor range when playing the deep defender. Shows difficulty getting off the hash to cover the sideline.
— Below-average vision and route recognition. Often loses track of threats in his area.
— Heavy footed at times. Shiftier ball carriers can make him miss in space. Does not have the movement skills to stop his feet when tackling.
NOTES
— DOB: 12/20/99
—2022 second-team AP All-American; second-team All-Big Ten
— Semifinalist for Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award
OVERALL
Kaevon Merriweather is a safety with average length and good size and weight. He is a bigger body safety with very good functional strength. Although he has shown the ability to play deep and in coverage, he fits the mold of a strong safety who plays downhill and does his best work from the box. When playing the run, Merriweather is a stout defender. He is a run-first defender who comes down quickly and looks to meet the ball carrier close to the line of scrimmage. He shows the ability to make the correct reads, while also sorting through the bodies in his way. A strong defender, he does a very good job of using his hands to take on and control blocks while also quickly disengaging from them.
Merriweather is primarily a wrap tackler who wrestles ball carriers down to the ground, but occasionally, he has shown to front them up and run through them with bigger hits. When tracking ball carriers to the sideline, he can take good angles, although there are times when his lack of speed shows up. Here, some of the faster ball carriers can outrun his angles when in space. He has also been known to struggle with the stopping and starting aspect when tracking the ball. Generally, once he is made to stop his momentum, he struggles to start up again.
When playing in pass coverage, Merriweather can play from deep and from in the box. While playing as a deep defender, he lacks the desired speed needed to play balls thrown to the sideline. When in coverage, he does a great job of getting his head around to locate the ball. He has the ball skills to play the ball in the air but doesn't have the hands to capitalize and finish the play with an interception. When in underneath zone coverage, he has the ability to cover crossers and routes in the flat but struggles to carry routes downfield because of his hip tightness and lack of top-end speed.
Ultimately, Merriweather is a draftable player with backup potential. Depending on where he lands, he will have to have a specific role for a defense to find the field. He will need to improve his movement and coverage skills in order to stick around for an extended career.
GRADE: 5.6 (Backup or Draftable/Rounds 6-7)
OVERALL RANK: 209
POSITION RANK: S18
PRO COMPARISON: DeShon Elliott
Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings
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