TCU's Jason Verrett sometimes gets overlooked when talk turns to the best cornerback in the draft, but he says he will change things at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Verrett, who was listed at 5-foot-10 and 176 pounds by TCU, generally is considered one of the top five corners available, but there are questions about his height, bulk and speed.
"I'm gonna shock them at the combine]," Verrett [told the Sporting News. "They feel like I'm gonna run a slow time. All my life I've been challenged as a smaller, shorter guy. But I'm lion-hearted. They said I was too small to play corner, that I wasn't big enough or fast enough: 'He's not 6-foot.'
"I can't change my height, but I can showcase my speed."
Verrett had nine picks and 34 pass breakups in his three seasons at TCU; he transferred in after one season at a junior college.
He has been training for the combine and other pre-draft events in his home state of California.
"I feel like where I'm at, as far as training, I feel like I can have a good combine," he said. " ... The workouts are crucial. I'm learning different techniques to get my [40-yard dash] starts right and finishing calm. The rest is football drills and football is what I breathe. I'll excel at that."
NFL Media draft analyst Bucky Brooks says Verrett is the third-best corner available, noting he is a "technically sound cover corner with superb instincts, awareness and anticipation. Additionally, Verrett is a willing tackler with a knack for making plays against the run."
Brooks has Verrett going No. 27 overall in his latest mock draft, to New Orleans. Fellow analyst Charles Davis has Verrett going 31st, to Denver.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
