2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Zemaiah Vaughn, CB, Utah

Player Data

Name, Jersey #	Zemaiah Vaughn, #5
School (Code)	University of Utah (UTUN)
Class Yr	rSR
Height, Weight	6030, 187
40 Yd Dash	4.46e
Arms	32 7/8″
Position/Depth	CB, Starter
Honors/Captainship	2023 All Pac-12 Honorable Mention
Season Viewed (yr)	2024, 2023
Games Watched	2024 vs Baylor (TXBA), 2023 vs Northwestern (ILNW), @ Arizona (AZUN), @ Washington (WAUN)
Scout Name / Date	David Howard,  9/17/2024

Per Year Stats (Most Recent First)

2024	5 TKL (2 Games)
2023	53 TKL, 5 TFL, .5 SCK, 1 INT, 6 PBU
2022	25 TKL, 1 TFL, 9 PBU, 1 FR, 1 FF
2021	25 TKL, 3 TFL, .5 SCK, 4 PBU
2020	1 TKL, 1 INT, 73 INT YDS

Player Summary:

5th Yr SR, with 27 GS in 47 GP, including 16 straight GS in primarily a base 4-3 defense. He has elite height and arm length, and adequate weight with a slender, athletic build throughout his body. He has very good speed, acceleration, agility, and burst off his backpedal, with good COD, solid balance, and adequate strength. He is good overall in press coverage, using his elite arm length to jam similarly sized and smaller receivers off the LOS, and understands when to disengage downfield to limit penalties. Bigger and stronger receivers can push him off when he attempts to jam allowing them to create separation, but uses his very good speed to recover and limit YAC. Uses good COD and very good speed to mirror WR routes and stay with them downfield, with solid awareness to react and ball skills to contest catches a majority of the time. Good overall in soft/off cover using his very good speed, acceleration, and COD to break on the ball, challenging the catch point and limiting YAC; however, at times he can play off too far, limiting his range to make a play and allow completions. Displays a good understanding of his zone responsibilities and maintains discipline to cover his assigned responsibilities. He shows versatility to line up across the field including the slot, and had solid individual performances while covering Rome Odunze, Jalynn Polk, and projected 2025 high draft pick Tetairoa McMillan. He is very good overall in run support as he is good at diagnosing plays, and has very good technique and timing to shed blocks and make a play on the runner; however, he can be pushed out of position by bigger and stronger blockers. When he is playing in tight he understands how to fill running lanes and hold the edge to force runners back inside towards bigger defenders, and also uses his very good speed to make plays on outside runs. He has good awareness to read and react to underneath throws and bubble screens and uses his very good acceleration and burst to break on the ball to limit YAC. He uses very good tackling technique, leverages the sideline well to angle runners out of bounds, and is almost always in position to make a play, rarely missing open-field tackles.

Scheme Fit:

Outside corner in a zone-dominant scheme

Power Statement:

Zemaiah Vaughn is a good cover CB with elite length and very good athletic ability, having solid performances against NFL-level talent. He can improve by tightening up his hip movement and anticipation when pressing. He is very good in run support and can be trusted to make plays in the open field. He would benefit overall by adding muscle to his frame.