Casey Hayward Scouting Report

Hayward was one of the more experienced players in college football. The cornerback saw significant playing time as a freshman in 2008 then was a full-time starter the entire rest of the way at Vanderbilt. As a sophomore he led the team with 8.5 tackles for loss and had two interceptions. Hayward picked of six passes as a junior to go along with 70 total tackles (59) solo. He is coming off a strong senior campaign during which he had seven interceptions, which he turned into 107 yards including a 50-yard touchdown. Hayward made 62 total tackles (7.5 for loss).

The Perry, GA native has decent size at 5'11'' and 188 pounds. He generally runs in the 4.5s in the 40-yard dash and has been clocked as fast as 4.42 from that distance. Hayward contributed sparingly on special teams for the Commodores, returning one kickoff and one punt as a senior. He plays bigger than he is thanks to superior athleticism and he is an absolute ball-hawk. Hayward racks up interceptions on a consistent basis and he is capable in run defense as well, showing an uncanny ability to get into the backfield. The only real drawback is that he does not possess elite size nor elite speed. He is simply solid all round. Look for Hayward to go off the board in the third or fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft.