Mekhi Garner NFL Draft Scouting Report

CB, LSU Tigers

Mekhi Garner is a fifth-year senior defensive back who transferred to LSU after spending the first three years of his collegiate career at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. Garner immediately embraced the jump up in level of competition and was named the starter for the season. Garner made an impact as a player with high instincts who was willing to provide a physical presence on the boundary of a defense. Garner’s plus-level plays came when he used his 6-foot-2 frame to be disruptive in both the run game and in coverage. 

In pass coverage, Garner shows best when he can play zone defense and has the opportunity to have eyes on both the quarterback and the receiver. Garner does a good job of staying on top of the receiver but also staying close enough to where he can still break downhill on underneath routes. When planting and driving on the receiver, Garner shows that he has plus-level closing speed and can knock the ball loose from the receiver with a physical tackle. As a zone defender, Garner has a high football IQ, including knowledge of route combinations and doing a good job of route recognition to break up passing routes. Garner also shows to have discipline in zone defense in that he can properly pass off routes. 

As a run defender, Garner provides a physical presence at the cornerback position. On multiple occasions, Garner has been able to shed defenders in the screen game and make a tackle on the receiver. Garner also does a good job of triggering from depth in off-coverage and playing with urgency, attacking the line of scrimmage to make the tackle on the ball carrier. 

Garner’s deficiencies as a player are centered around his down-the-field speed to be able to run stride for stride in man-to-man situations with receivers vertically. It appears that Garner has good acceleration and initial burst to stay in stride with receivers in the 30-yard range, but after that, it appears that receivers can begin to separate from Garner. 

Top Reasons to Buy In:

• Can play zone or man  
• Football IQ 
• Reliable tackler

Top Reasons For Concern: 

• Inconsistent technique 
• Elite speed    
• Lack of ball production

Size (NFL Combine):

Height: 6′ 2”

Weight: 212 lbs

Arm Length: 32 1/4”

Hand Size: 10 1/8”

Athletic Testing (NFL Combine):

40-yard Dash: 4.55s

Vertical Jump: 38”

Broad Jump: 10′ 8”

Short-Shuttle: TBD

Three-Cone: TBD

Bench Reps: TBD

Ideal Role: Reliable depth/rotational starter  

Scheme Fit: Zone; Cover 3 or Cover 2 corner

TDN Consensus Grade: 70.00/100 (Fifth-Round Value)

• Sanchez Grade: 70.00/100

Written By: Keith Sanchez 

Exposures:  Florida State (2022), Tennessee (2022), Ole Miss (2022), Alabama (2022), Georgia (2022)

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