Kaevon Merriweather did not receive as many flowers as he should have during his time as a member of the Iowa Hawkeyes’ defense. The safety was experienced, intelligent, and knew how to lead the nation’s best secondary.
Merriweather was fantastic for the Hawkeyes last year with 47 total tackles, six pass breakups, a forced fumble, four interceptions, and a fumble recovery that he returned for a touchdown. He also put on a show in his coverage, both man and zone, as Pro Football Focus took note of. Merriweather was the only safety in America last year to have a grade of 85 or higher in both man and zone coverage which speaks to his incredible versatility.
Only Safety with 85+ grades in man AND zone coverage last season:
🟡 Kaevon Merriweather pic.twitter.com/6fdTSNve2h
— PFF College (@PFF_College) March 18, 2023
Up next for the Hawkeyes’ safety is Iowa’s Pro Day which takes place on Monday, March 20th. It is unknown what he will do in regards to any re-testing, skills work, or meetings with teams. His combine effort was strong and showed teams what he is capable of. His 40-yard dash of 4.62 is more than satisfactory but his 1.58 10-yard split is among some of the most explosive for his position and shows his burst.
Following that, Merriweather will wait for the NFL Draft to find out his next home and team. Teams and many have spoken about Merriweather’s character and leadership which were exemplified in his time at Iowa. It is truly a matter of time, but one NFL team is going to be getting a leader, talented safety, and player that they can count on.
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