Malik Verdon NFL Draft Scouting Report
Malik Verdon, SAF, Iowa State
Size:
Height: 6035
Weight: 218
Arm: 9 ½”
Hand: 32 ¼”
Accomplishments:
Second-Team All-Big 12 (2024) • All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (2023)
“Malik Verdon is a unique size problem in the secondary whose hard-hitting nature makes him a force defender against the run.”
Strengths:
Click-and-close ability
Tight end defender
Physicality
Takes good angles in pursuit
Concerns:
Lateral change of direction
Rigid mover
In-space tackling technique
Injury history
Film Analysis:
An all-conference and all-city selection at defensive back during his final year in high school, Malik Verdon played quarterback, wide receiver, and defensive back at Hamilton High School after competing at Moeller as a sophomore and junior. He tallied 40 tackles and two interceptions on defense, ran for 365 yards and five touchdowns, and threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns. The three-star recruit was also a basketball standout during his high school career.
Verdon committed to Iowa State and played two games during his freshman campaign before getting the redshirt. Injuries cut both his 2022 and 2023 seasons short, but he did start 11 games before his breakout redshirt junior year. He was second on the team with 76 tackles, 3.5 for a loss, one sack, one interception, two forced fumbles, and five pass breakups on his way to a second-team All-Big 12 conference selection.
One of the more unique body types in the secondary, Verdon offers a unique size advantage at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds. He plays all around the defensive backfield, primarily as a box safety or two-high defender. He’s quick to trigger downhill against the run, and when he’s a force defender near the line of scrimmage, he’s more than willing to throw his body around and take on blocks. He needs to learn to use his length to disengage easier against all blockers, but his effort often takes up enough time from the blocker to allow others to swarm around the ball carrier. Always looking to lay a big hit, Verdon needs to work on his tackling technique consistency, not lowering his head or lunging, to be a more sound tackler, but the “want to” is surely there. He diagnoses runs from depth well, will run the alley to fit gaps, and pursues ball-carriers with sound angles.
The same is true of Verdon when clicking and closing against receivers; he wants to deliver punishment. While his versatility in man coverage is more limited to tight ends, he’s a physical player at the top of routes against big bodies and won’t freely give up space. He needs to improve his backpedal consistency to change directions quicker; too often, he leans back onto his heels, making it more difficult to put his foot in the ground and pursue. His positional versatility at the next level is intriguing, as he could play big nickel and some dime linebacker for a creative-minded defensive coordinator. He’s shown a good understanding of zone concepts, how to communicate and pass off, and he’s a good seam defender in the intermediate. He’ll be at a disadvantage against quicker and smoother receivers due to a labored lateral change of direction. He’s one of the toughest players on the field, playing a month with a hairline fracture in his left forearm to end his season.
Verdon has injury questions, as he’s never played a season without missing games due to injury. Still, his toughness, unique body type, physical tools, and overall athletic ability could make him a priority on day three of the draft.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Developmental Traits
Written By: Daniel Harms
Exposures: Texas Tech (2024), Baylor (2024), Iowa (2024), Utah (2024), West Virginia (2024)
