Vernon
Scott.
Vernon
Scott.
TCU
"Green Bay drafted TCU's rangy, late-blooming safety at No. 236, and he played 18 games over two seasons, mainly on special teams, without earning a defensive role."Pre-draft read
Scott was a safety in TCU's quarters-based 4-2-5, a 6-2, 202-pounder who played deep and in the box as a senior starter. His primary trait was length and range in coverage: he covered ground from the middle of the field, used long arms to contest throws and broke up seven passes in 2019, capped by a 98-yard interception return for a touchdown at Oklahoma.
His secondary trait was physicality in run support, where he came downhill to fill alleys and forced two fumbles as a senior. His tackling angles were inconsistent. His athletic ceiling was solid, and his signature was the timely playmaking of a late-blooming starter who took over games down the stretch.
Split-safety or quarters coverage scheme that lets a long, rangy safety play deep and rotate into the box.
Year 1: core special teams player and backup safety. Ceiling: rotational safety in sub packages.
Scheme that asks its safeties to play in the box as extra linebackers and take on blockers every down.
His range fit best in two-high looks.
II The Sheriff II The Official Senior Highlights of TCU Safety Vernon Scott II
His 2019 senior season as a starter.
TCU 98-yard Pick Six | TCU vs. #9 Oklahoma 2019
His 98-yard interception return at Oklahoma.
Vernon Scott on getting more snaps: 'I want to show that I can be that guy'
Packers interview from his rookie season.
Scott projected as a long, rangy safety whose single season as a starter made him a late-round developmental defensive back. Evaluators liked his size, range and ball skills, but noted how little starting experience he had and questioned his consistency as a tackler.
He played in 46 games at TCU but started only 12, mostly as a senior in 2019, when he started all 10 games he played and ranked fourth on the team with 44 tackles and third with seven pass breakups. He finished with four takeaways in the final three games, including the 98-yard interception return at Oklahoma, a game-saving forced fumble against Texas Tech and a forced fumble with his first career sack against West Virginia. The flags were his limited starting résumé, inconsistent tackling and a slight frame for box duties.
Most boards viewed him as a late-round or priority free agent safety. Green Bay took him at No. 236 as a special teams contributor and developmental safety with starter traits.
- 01
Range and length
Covered ground from the deep middle and used long arms to contest throws, breaking up seven passes in 2019.
- 02
Ball skills
Returned an interception 98 yards for a touchdown at Oklahoma in 2019, one yard shy of TCU's school record.
- 03
Clutch playmaking
Forced four takeaways in TCU's final three games of 2019, including a game-saving forced fumble against Texas Tech.
- 04
Run support
Came downhill to fill alleys and forced two fumbles as a senior, showing willingness to play physical in the box.
- 05
Special teams experience
Played in 46 games at TCU, largely on coverage units, giving him a clear path to an NFL special teams role.
- 01
Limited starting résumé
Started only 12 games in his career, nearly all as a senior, giving evaluators a small body of work.
- 02
Inconsistent tackling
Took poor angles at times and missed tackles in space, a concern for a safety expected to be the last line.
- 03
Slight frame
At 202 pounds he lacked the mass to take on blockers consistently when asked to play near the line.
- 04
Late development
Took three years to earn a starting role at TCU, raising questions about his instincts and processing speed.
| Yr | Team | G | Tkl | Sk | Int | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | TCU | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | TCU | 13 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | TCU | 11 | 38 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2019 | TCU | 10 | 44 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 |
| Career | — | 45 | 88 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 2 |
Seasons from Sports-Reference, including bowls, which sum to 88 tackles, two interceptions and 10 passes defensed over 45 games (TCU lists 46 games and 12 starts). His lone interception return touchdown came in 2019.
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
The realized outcome: a special teams safety for two seasons.
Rangy late-round safety who earned starts and a special teams role in Green Bay.
Late-round defensive back who never moved past practice squads.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Scott made Green Bay's roster as a rookie in 2020 and played 15 games, mostly on special teams, finishing with 13 tackles. He appeared in three more games in 2021 before his NFL career stalled, and he did not play another regular-season game after that season. He finished with 18 NFL games, 14 tackles and no starts, all with Green Bay.
In hindsight the pick returned about what a No. 236 selection usually does. His range and length earned him a special teams role as a rookie, but the limited starting résumé and inconsistent tackling evaluators flagged kept him from breaking into Green Bay's safety rotation. He never got the defensive snaps needed to show whether his late-season playmaking at TCU could carry over to the NFL, where his ball skills would have been tested against far better quarterbacks. His path is common for late-round safeties, where a special teams role is both the entry point and, too often, the ceiling.