GREEN BAY – The Packers used their final two picks of the 2020 NFL Draft to select TCU safety Vernon Scott and Miami (Fla.) defensive lineman Jonathan Garvin in the seventh round on Saturday.
While the similarities between the two rookies end there, Scott (No. 236) and Garvin (No. 242) come to Green Bay in search of the same thing – opportunity.
Scott climbed the Horned Frogs' depth chart at safety on his way to claiming a starting role as a senior this past year. After not receiving an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine, the 6-foot-2, 206-pound safety was left without an opportunity to work out for scouts after his TCU pro day was canceled due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.
All Scott could do is hope NFL scouts would watch his college film and see his versatility. There also was his landmark performance against Oklahoma last fall, in which he returned an interception 98 yards for a touchdown.
It took him two seasons to crack a deep secondary but made it count. Scott had 82 tackles, 12 passes defensed, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a sack over his final 21 college games. But would it be enough?
Scott watched the draft from his party at his aunt's house in Dallas but wasn't sure if he'd get that call. Once he did, Scott was ecstatic.
"I was just so discouraged with how everything was going," Scott said. "I was thinking I was going to be a priority free agent, undrafted. I knew I was going to get the opportunity, but everybody wants to hear their name called. That's the dream.
"There were a lot of ups and downs, but when I got that 920-area-code call, that just changed my whole mood. I was just excited to be a Packer."
Meanwhile, Garvin played immediately as a true freshman at Miami (Fla.) and started 24 games. The 6-foot-4, 263-pound defensive end picked up the nickname "Spider" from the Hurricanes' coaching staff because of his length and ability to claw back into a play if he ended up on the ground.
Garvin had his best year as a sophomore in 2018, registering 60 tackles (17½ for a loss) and 5½ sacks. He posted another five sacks this past year and declared early for this year's NFL Draft for personal and family reasons.
Unlike Scott, Garvin competed at the combine. He ran a 4.82 40 with a 36-inch vertical, 125-inch broad jump and did 23 bench reps. Despite having to wait until the seventh round, Garvin said he was "joyful" just to get a chance with an NFL team. Still only 20, he feels like his best years are ahead of him.
"As far as untapped potential, yeah, there's a mass of it. I haven't hit my prime yet," Garvin said. "I have years to go to hit my prime. By the time the contract is done, I still won't be in my prime and I'll still keep on growing and developing."
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