Chargers Prospect Interview: Oregon S Verone McKinley III

The versatile defensive back would be a solid addition to the Chargers’ secondary.

The Chargers Wire staff is back after a week spent in Mobile, AL, observing the Reese’s Senior Bowl, one of the pinnacle all-star events in the months leading up to the NFL Draft.

There, prospects had the opportunity to receive coaching and compete in front of NFL personnel and coaches during the three days of practice and game.

While we were down there, Gavino Borquez had the opportunity to talk to Oregon safety Verone McKinley III about his experience at the prestigious event and what the NFL draft process has been like for him so far. 

Vitals

Height: 5105
Weight: 196
Hand: 9
Arm: 3068
Wing: 7300

College Bio page

Chargers Fit

McKinley may be a bit undersized for true free safety, but he makes up for it with his quick-twitch reaction speed, athleticism, ball skills, football IQ, and downhill close to the ball. He is sticky in man coverage but possesses the desired aggressiveness to reliably put down ball carriers as a run defender. McKinley is a natural leader and tone-setter who can be a versatile chess piece for Los Angeles. 

Round Projection: 2nd

Highlights

GB: You played quarterback and wide receiver in high school. How do you feel like that helped you switch to the other side of the ball and play defensive back?

VM: I would say quarterback-wise, it helped me with the leadership side and to be able to command things on defense. Make sure I get everybody lined up, make sure you know what everybody needs to do. It kind of gave me that ability to be ‘The General.’ For my time at wide receiver, that’s where the ball skills come into play. To be able to track the ball, see the angle of it, turn my hand certain ways and be able to reel in those interceptions. That’s where the ball skills come from.

GB: That’s obviously a strength of yours. You had 11 interceptions throughout your college career. Speaking of that, what would you say is your best trait?

VM: Being able to mix my athletic ability with my IQ, that’s probably like my biggest trait because I’m able to play ahead of the snap and have a jump on different things. That’s why I’m always playing ahead of the offense and able to diagnose things, see it, and just go get it. So putting that athletic ability with my IQ together is what I feel makes me probably the most special.

GB: Do you model your game after someone?

VM: I have the same defensive back trainer as Jamal Adams, so that’s how I know him and bounce ideas off of him. But I wouldn’t just say him… Tyrann Mathieu, Buddha Baker, Jessie Bates, and Minkah Fitzpatrick. Those are just some guys right there that I kind of model my game after. I like to pick different pieces of their game and implement them into mine.

GB: You’ve known Adams since sixth grade, What’s the number one lesson you have learned from him?

VM: Just always to be different. Always try to do more and stand out from the pack. There are always great players everywhere, but what are you going to do to really stand out and separate yourself from that? I feel like he’s been a big part of me understanding that.

GB: You are a versatile defender and were used in a lot of different alignments at Oregon. If you had to choose, would you say you’re most comfortable in a two-high shell, centerfielder role, or in the slot?

VM: It kind of depends on who we’re playing. For instance, certain teams have certain strengths, and I want to be able to go after those strengths and make them a weakness. So let’s take the Super Bowl for example. With Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins out wide, I’ll probably want to play more centerfield or two-high to be able to help my cornerbacks out. But if we’re playing the Rams, you know Cooper Kupp gets a lot of those targets. I would like to go into the slot, challenge Kupp on the option routes, and make things difficult for him.

GB: We are seeing an evolution of the safety position happening right now, what does playing the position look like for you on the field?

VM: I feel like it makes me versatile, but it allows me to thrive in different systems. I would say to be a safety you have to be the quarterback of the defense and that’s kind of where the whole ‘General’ title came from. You got to make checks, you got to be able to cover receivers, tight ends, running backs, you got to be able to get in the slot, blitz, play in the box. You have got to be able to do everything. Now, certain people are gonna use you certain ways, but if you have that ability to do everything it just helps you out even more. My dad always told me to know everything, know what everybody does, know where your help is to be able to play all those spots. 

GB: Who was the hardest receiver to cover when you were at Oregon?

VM: The Ohio State receivers (Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba), Drake London, Bradon Aiyuk. 

GB: Why were they difficult to cover?

VM: They are all different in their own ways, but those are NFL receivers right there. You want to go against the best of the nest, but these types of guys all bring something special to the table. You got to make sure you’re on your P’s and Q’s at all times because these are guys that can make a play at any moment. 

London’s a big-body guy that’s really good at the jump ball. Olave’s a speedster. Aiyuk and Smith-Njigba are players that can do it all and very good all-around receivers. Wilson runs really good routes and has great releases.

GB: If I were to talk to your head coach or your defensive coordinator, what is the one word they would tell me to describe you?

VM: Cerebral. I would say that because for me, it’s not just about the physical side of the game but the mental side as well. When you’re a student and want to continue to learn, especially somebody like that who is a big film junkie and somebody that just loves football, I’ll go in and meet with coaches and make sure to see it from both perspectives, a player and coach perspective. That allows me to play faster, understand gap schemes, allows me to understand what the front is doing. If something does leak out, I have the ability to know why it leaked out and where that can be cleaned up.

Defense is a puzzle. As ‘The General.’ I feel like I’m the big-picture guy who is going to see that whole puzzle, identify the missing links, and get that fixed so the picture looks right. When I say ‘cerebral,’ I’m this guy who is going to be on at all times during the game, think while he makes plays, and made football adjustments because that’s a huge part of the game. When I tapped the ball on the run [during a fumble recovery against UCLA], it’s because I was thinking while I was playing. 

GB: How did you earn the nickname ‘The General’ and when did it start?

VM: It started around 2020 because I was controlling everything back there. I’m always vocal and loud, directing people, and it kind of just started with my teammates and me. Then it just started to progress from there and after the Ohio State game it just blew up. 

GB: What’s next for you after the Senior Bowl between now and the NFL Combine?

VM: Back to Exos and Frisco, TX. Just working on my starts and on my 5-10-5, all of that. I’m also making sure I stay sharp because once I do get drafted, football’s right around the corner with rookie OTAs. So that, staying sharp and conditioned, that’s pretty much what I’ll be doing.

GB: Outside of football, how do you like to spend your time outside the game?

VM: I like to podcast a little bit. I want to be in media and broadcasting and be an analyst later on, so that’s why I did all the interviews at school. Just practice getting better each time.

GB: Is there someone in the media field that you might want to emulate?

VM: I would want to be a mixture of Tony Romo and Gus Johnson. Johnson has the excitement, everybody knows every time you watch a game, he’s going to make sure you’re dialed in. Romo’s ability to diagnose and dissect plays before they happen… I feel like that’s kind of how I play so I would be doing the same thing. I tweet a lot, especially during games, about what I saw and what could have been done.

GB: What would it be like to play with Justin Herbert again?

VM: I would love to play with Herb again. Of course, being at Oregon with him for those battles in practice, I think he’s somebody that makes you better because when you have good coverage in on-on-ones, you want to go against somebody where every ball is perfect. He’s a franchise quarterback and playing with him early on in college definitely helped my development.