NFL Draft
3/31/25
5 min read
Malik Verdon 2025 NFL Draft: Scouting Report For Iowa State Cyclones SAF
Height: 6040 (verified)
Weight: 218lbs (verified)
Year: Redshirt Junior
Pro Comparison: Hamsah Nasirildeen
Scouting Overview
Iowa State Cyclones safety Malik Verdon is a supersized safety with length, physicality, and surprising body control and fluidity for his stature. He’s the latest in a recent line of mega-safeties, some of which have made it to the NFL and transitioned to play stack linebackers and sub-package defenders on the second level.
That may be the best course of action for Verdon, too. He showcases a good appetite for fitting the run and attacking the line of scrimmage and appears to lack the coverage ceiling to be a good fit playing in deeper portions of the field at the NFL level.
2025 NFL Combine Results
| Position | Name | School | 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Split | Broad Jump | Vertical Jump | 3-Cone Drill | 20-Yard Shuttle | Bench Press |
| S | Malik Verdon | Iowa State | 7.06 | 4.34 |
Positives
- Has very good length and physicality as a space player to reroute receivers or combat blocks on the edge
- Does possess good eyes in zone coverage and will fall off initial landmarks to squeeze secondary windows
- Has violent pads as a slashing tackler who can create imposing hits in the box
Negatives
- Durability is a major concern after having the 2022 and 2023 seasons cut short for injury
- Range and ball skills as a deeper defender are negligible
- Showcases some poor tackling habits as a wrap-up defender that hurt his finishing ability
Background
Verdon is from Cincinnati, OH, and played high school football at Hamilton HS. There, he was a two-way athlete who played quarterback, wide receiver, and defensive back. He was a 3-star recruit (247 Sports) who garnered interest from schools like Pittsburgh, Iowa, Washington State, and others before ultimately committing to Iowa State as a member of the school’s 2021 recruiting class.
Verdon redshirted in 2021 after appearing in two contests and then appeared to be poised for a starting role in 2022 before an injury cut his season short after just three games (2 starts).
Verdon returned to the lineup in 2023 and started nine games in 10 appearances before again suffering a season-ending forearm break. Verdon played the final month of the 2024 season with a cast on his left forearm but did play in 12 games in his final season with the Cyclones.
He declared for the 2025 NFL Draft and bypassed his final season of eligibility.
Tale Of The Tape
Verdon is a long, fluid safety whose potential has been stunted by durability issues that have plagued him for each year he’s played significant snaps with the Cyclones. After being recruited as an athlete and two-way player in high school, Verdon enters the NFL with just more than 1,100 college snaps.
The lack of refinement lingers through several phases of the position as a safety, including anticipation of routes when isolated in the slot in man coverage and with some of his tackling habits trying to fit from depth.
Because of his stature, Verdon’s transitional quickness is limited by his high hips and long strides. To be an effective space defender or win in isolation, he’ll need a significantly improved feel for route breaks and spacing in coverage.
Instead, he projects much more favorably as a shallow zone defender, where his length can be a greater asset, and deeper zone players can cap him to keep the lid on the defense. Verdon shows the ability to sink and drop underneath intermediate routes and has good eyes on the quarterback to read body language in these reps.
Verdon is an aggressive run fitter with physicality and striking power in his pads. He prefers to drop pads and cut down ball carriers with force rather than being a patient wrap-up tackler. This can get the better of him at times, as he will be too aggressive and fail to balance coming into first contact. On these reps, Verdon is making shoestring tackles or failing to finish altogether.
Verdon’s profile is curiously short on special teams opportunities, which may hurt his game-day outlook as a rookie, given his developmental status. He’s played half a dozen reps of punt return duties, and all other special teams reps for his college career are field goal block assignments.
This casts a cloud of doubt over what he can provide early in his rookie contract, as he’s a role-specific safety who may actually be better served transitioning into a sub-package linebacker.
Ideal Scheme Fit, Role
Verdon projects as a developmental sub-package defender at the NFL level. He’ll be best served playing as a dime linebacker, where his zone range and length can be an upgrade over more traditional stack defenders and aid in spacing the middle of the field.
He’ll need to develop his special teams prowess to dress early on in his pro career.
Grade: 69.00/100.00, Sixth Round Value
Big Board Rank: 235
Position Rank: SAF18
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