Former Texas Christian standout Jason Verrett is among the most highly-regarded cornerbacks in the upcoming draft and a legitimate candidate to be a first-round pick. But according to NFL Media senior analyst Gil Brandt, Verrett might have what it takes to do more than just cover people.
"One suggestion I have -- and this is just a suggestion -- is that he might consider working out at another position to see if he could be a Wes Welker-type of wideout," Brandt wrote Friday in his pro day blog. "He has a lot of the tools to succeed there -- he runs under a 4.4 in the 40, is very strong, and he can jump -- and receiver is a position where his lack of height might not be an issue."
Verrett broke up 14 passes for TCU last year and intercepted two others, but at 5-foot-10, 176 pounds, he could find NFL receivers to be overpowering at the pro level. Position switches in the NFL, of course, are both rare and difficult. Turning back the clock on years of specialization takes a certain kind of athlete with a certain kind of mentality, and it doesn't turn out ideally for some. Of course, investments as large as first-round picks dictate that prospects deliver at the position they were drafted for. Brandt's suggestion, more likely, is a forseeable adjustment that Verrett could attempt later in his pro career, perhaps if he proves too small to succeed as a defensive back.
NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks' latest mock draft projects Verrett to the San Diego Chargers with the No. 25 overall pick.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread.*
