Welcome again to Saturday Scouting (again on a Saturday!). One of many irritating issues about dwelling outdoors of the Tampa market is that I can’t attend coaching camp almost as usually as I would really like. And so, like lots of you I depend on the unbelievable reporting of my colleagues at Pewter Report and elsewhere to raised perceive who’s standing out throughout camp.
One title I can’t appear to get away from is rookie undrafted free agent cornerback Ayden Garnes. Garnes, the slightly below six-feet-tall is vying for one of many legitimately up-for-grabs spots on the ultimate 53-man roster because the Bucs’ fourth/fifth outdoors nook. Admittedly, previous to the Bucs signing him, I had not heard of Garnes earlier than. That makes him an ideal topic for this week’s Saturday Scouting!
Bucs Rookie CB Ayden Garnes
Ayden Garnes was a zero-star prospect out of Drexel Hill, PA, who dedicated to Duquesne within the fall of 2020 and enrolled the next yr. After taking part in three years there, together with a unbelievable 2023 season the place he notched eight move breakups and two interceptions plus 5 pressures and a sack, he transferred to West Virginia in 2024.
Whereas solely taking part in six video games with the Mountaineers, Garnes allowed a catch fee simply barely north of fifty%. At that time he had raised his profile sufficient to be a three-star prospect within the switch portal as he moved to Arizona for his closing season of faculty ball. In 2025, Garnes posted 44 tackles, 12 defensive stops, 4 move breakups and an interception in accordance with Professional Soccer Focus.
His total manufacturing profile, taking part in in an influence 4 convention was strong as a protection defender.
Ayden Garnes Bodily Profile
Garnes was not invited to the NFL Mix, however did submit just a few eye-opening numbers at his Professional Day.
Peak – 5-11.25Weight – 181 poundsArm Size – 31.25″Hand Measurement – 8.625″40-Yard Sprint – 4.39 seconds10-Yard Break up – 1.58 secondsBroad Soar – 10’9Vertical – 36″Quick Shuttle – 4.283-Cone – 7.03
His 40-yard sprint and broad leap belie a participant with a powerful decrease half who can create actual pace.
Ayden Garnes Scouting Report
What I discovered over that interval is a participant with fast and agile ft, easy hips and recreation pace that make him an ideal possibility for man or zone ideas, however whose smaller stature might show problematic, particularly in a league the place offensive coordinators will decide at any deficiency they’ll discover.
Protection
Garnes appears to desire engaged on the road in a press alignment. Right here he can match footwork and keep in section from leap avenue. He doesn’t usually throw a jab/punch/stab off the snap. He prefers to win the matchup with footwork, mirroring and forcing receivers to launch to the skin the place he can condense house and power quarterbacks to show down throws in his course.
As a person nook this usually works and when he’s protecting verticals he virtually at all times caps the route.
I watched three video games of Ayden Garnes’ tape from 2025. Could not discover a single rep the place somebody received behind him. pic.twitter.com/8lL9jRiojD
In opposition to onerous, static stems he’s fast to decelerate and keep within the receiver’s hip pocket, protecting curls, hitches and comebacks rapidly. A part of it is because Garnes is so comfy in his backpedal, not transitioning out of it till the final potential second and forcing receivers to declare their routes.
Alternatively, he can play half-turn and since his hips are so easy – one thing his athletic testing fails to indicate – and that mixed along with his plus angles relative to his protection project, he can do it with out an excessive amount of fear that he might get his face crossed. These unfastened hips additionally aide him when taking part in in off protection to show and burn rapidly, or when needed, click on and shut on brief breakers.
In zone, Garnes exhibits he’s a fast processor. He deciphers video games, shadows, and switches simply as he passes off and picks up receivers. From my watch he not often ended up out of place when taking part in a deep third or in a quarters match project. And past his personal processing he additionally confirmed high-level communication expertise mentioning what he was seeing and doing to ensure his teammates have been on the identical web page.
Todd Bowles’ protection requires plus communicators, so this bodes effectively for him sticking on the roster.
Bucs CBs Ayden Garnes and Benjamin Morrison – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Within the pink zone he trusts his eyes and pure athleticism, selecting to undercut in-breaking routes in an effort to interrupt up, and even intercept passes. That’s one thing I want Garnes would implement in between the twenties as it could enhance his ball manufacturing. As it’s he does power contested catches and incompletions greater than he breaks up or intercepts passes. And the center of the sector is the place he permits most catches as he could be late to chunk on in-breakers.
My greatest concern with Garnes comes right down to how effectively he develops his press method. I perceive his desire to reflect footwork as his lighter weight make jabs a harmful proposition. In opposition to larger and extra bodily receivers he can get shoved out of place reasonably simply. However with out the specter of a shove, he’s inviting the receiver to carry the combat to him. It’s an actual flaw which may be past teaching.
Run Protection and Tackling
That is the most important deficiency in Garnes’ recreation. His dimension places him at an excessive drawback. When he tries to sq. up a ball service, he can’t carry the pop needed for a fast and bodily takedown. He actually must wrap and drag. The issue is that too usually Garnes is aiming at their ankles resulting in whiffs or glances. His fifth percentile missed deal with fee (24.1% in 2025) is actual and throughout his tape.
The demeanor is okay as he closes with pace and confidence. It’s the aiming level and lack of dimension that result in points along with his end.
Past the tackling points, Garnes is a brilliant participant when defending the run. He aggressively assaults perimeter screens and holds outdoors leverage effectively, actively working to funnel broad zone and sweeps again to the within the place his assistance is situated. However when engaged with bigger people Garnes understandably struggles to carry up resulting from his smaller dimension. He has to depend on his fast ft to get round and below blocks and put him in place to make a play.
However the consistency at which he does it’s honest to query – particularly when contemplating the leap in competitors.
Bucs CB Ayden Garnes – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Move Speeding
I doubt Garnes is used as a move rusher all that usually, however when requested to prior to now he has the timing and pace to be efficient, particularly as a bottom rusher off condensed appears to be like. As a slot defender his capacity could be lessened as a result of safety plans would account for him extra usually pre-snap and his dimension limitations would issue in additional closely.
Abstract
Ayden Garnes is a brilliant, quick-twitch protection nook with good steadiness and footwork and a capability to transition that goes effectively past what his athletic testing would insinuate. However his smaller body and poor tackling tendencies put an actual ceiling on who he could be on the NFL stage. Had I evaluated him for the 2026 NFL Draft I might have had him in my fifth tier which is a draftable grade throughout a full draft class.
The athletic traits are actual. As are the scale limitations. However Garnes has the smarts to leverage his pluses right into a depth nook with particular groups performance. And whereas I didn’t see any tape of him within the slot, his greatest protection season got here in 2023 the place he predominantly performed inside. Standard soccer knowledge would say that’s the place he greatest profiles due to his smaller body.
However I imagine he can dangle on the skin in protection, and with run video games what they’re within the trendy NFL, Garnes’ tackling points could be exacerbated within the slot.
