Kaevon Merriweather Complete NFL Draft Profile (Iowa DB Ready for Backup Role in Year 1)

Iowa defensive back Kaevon Merriweather saved his best performance for his final year as a Hawkeye, earning some well-deserved hype ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. Only time will tell when he'll hear his name called by the end of the week.

Here's everything you need to know about Kaevon Merriweather heading into the 2023 NFL Draft.

Kaevon Merriweather Draft Stock & Mock Draft Projections

Mock draft sources accurate as of 4/24 NFL.com, ESPN, CBS, Walter Football, Sporting News.

Projected Draft Round: Undrafted (3) Round 5 (1), Round 7 (1),
Projected Team: Undrafted (3), Chargers (1), Seahawks (1)

Kaevon Merriweather Scouting Report

Always reliable for Iowa, Kaevon Merriweather had his best season to date in 2022. The promising prospect set new career highs in total tackles (47), solo tackles (35), and interceptions (3), playing a role in his being named first-team All-American.

Standing six feet tall and weighing 205 pounds, Merriweather has an NFL-ready frame. He's equipped with solid speed, reliable hands, and good leaping abilities, helping him disrupt the opposition's passing game. He's so good at what he does that he tallied a jaw-dropping 11.7 quarterback rating when targeted this past fall.

As talented as he is, Merriweather still has his shortcomings. He doesn't have a next level to his speed, nor does he have consistent fluidity when making turns. He's also better at playing man-to-man rather than zone coverage, limiting where his future coaches can slot him in.

Kaevon Merriweather NFL Draft Prediction

Kaevon Merriweather is an interesting DB prospect. On one hand, there's no doubting his abilities to shut down even the best wideouts one-on-one. On the other, his weakness in zone coverage and lack of another speed level likely prevent him from being an earlier pick.

The Detroit Lions are a plausible destination for Merriweather. Merriweather is unlikely to be a starter this season, which won't be an issue for the Lions, whose DB room is filled with the likes of Cameron Sutton, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Emmanuel Moseley. With the already-proven veterans ahead of him, Merriweather could play in a pressure-free environment.

Besides, extra DB depth would help a Lions team that surrendered the third-most receiving yards in 2022. At the end of the day, Merriweather joining Detroit would be mutually beneficial.

Prediction: Detroit Lions (Round 5, 152nd overall)

Check out more NFL Draft content from The Duel:

Kaevon Merriweather NFL Combine Results

Kaevon Merriweather Iowa Stats

Kaevon Merriweather Iowa Highlights

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.