DJ Harvey CB USC |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #2 ROLE: Outside Zone CB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/23/2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.53 seconds (36%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 23.5 DOB: 02/17/2003 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #2 | |
| ROLE: Outside Zone CB | |
| Last Updated: 03/23/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| Forty time: 4.53 seconds (36%*) | |
| Age: 23.5 DOB: 02/17/2003 | |
| Overall Rating: | 78.4 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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75% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| QB Rating When targeted: | 82.6 | |
| Tackling: |
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63% |
| Run Defense: |
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81% |
| Coverage: |
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81% |
| Zone: |
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69% |
| Man/Press: |
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84% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
UDFA
Overall Rank:
#284
Position rank:
#53 (DB)
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| College Games: 43 College Snaps: 1429 | ||
ESPN RATING: 79/100
College Combine Results
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247 RATING: 90/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.8 (95%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Alijah Huzzie - North Carolina |
|
83% |
| Jabbar Muhammad - Oregon |
|
82% |
| Mac McWilliams - UCF |
|
82% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Twelve interceptions and 45 pass breakups across three varsity seasons at Sierra Canyon in Chatsworth made DJ Harvey one of the most productive prep defensive backs in California. The Palmdale native earned MaxPreps All-American Second Team honors as a junior and made the MaxPreps All-Defense Team as a senior, drawing four-star ratings from 247Sports and Rivals before signing with Virginia Tech.Harvey saw limited action with the Hokies, collecting just eight tackles in 14 games over two seasons before transferring to San Jose State ahead of the 2023 campaign. He worked into a starting role with the Spartans and broke out as a redshirt junior in 2024, posting 58 tackles, four interceptions (including a pick-six), 10 pass breakups, and two sacks across 12 games.
That production earned him a transfer to USC for his redshirt senior year, where he reunited with childhood friend Kamari Ramsey in the Trojans' secondary. Harvey started the 2025 opener but lost his job within weeks as redshirt freshmen Marcelles Williams and Braylon Conley pushed past him in the rotation. He played just five defensive snaps in Week 5 against Illinois, then missed time with an injury and finished the season with only 141 total defensive snaps.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Reads quarterback eyes and route combinations well in zone coverage.
- Productive ball skills with four career interceptions and 14 pass breakups.
- Willing and aggressive in run support; posted strong run defense marks at SJSU.
- Has played outside corner, slot, and box, offering defensive coordinators flexibility.
- Competitive temperament shows up on tape, especially in contested catch situations.
- Comfortable sitting in off-coverage and driving downhill on short and intermediate throws.
- Four years of college experience across three programs sharpened his route recognition.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Below-average speed limits his ability to recover once beaten vertically.
- Man coverage technique breaks down against quick receivers on sharp-breaking routes.
- Undersized frame with short arms creates a small catch radius for contested balls.
- Lost his starting job at USC to younger corners and was benched by mid-season.
- Press technique is raw; gets grabby when receivers threaten his leverage at the line.
- Missed tackle rate climbed at USC, and bigger backs can run through him.
Scouting Report: Summary
Harvey's best football will come in a zone-heavy scheme that lets him play with his eyes on the quarterback and break on the ball. His 2024 tape at San Jose State is the selling point: he was sharp reading route combinations, jumped passing lanes with good timing, and generated turnovers at a rate that gets scouts' attention. The coverage instincts and ball skills are real, and they translate well to a Cover 3 or Cover 4 system where he can use his processing ability rather than win with raw athleticism.The problem is what happened when he moved to USC. Harvey started the opener but saw his snap count shrink each week until he was down to five defensive snaps in Week 5. Lincoln Riley publicly called for more from him, saying the team needed his experience to show up, but it never did. Redshirt freshmen with better length and speed passed him on the depth chart, and an injury later in the fall shut down whatever remained of his role. When a veteran corner gets outplayed by younger, less experienced players at the Power Four level, that tells you something about where his physical tools land against NFL-caliber athletes.
The realistic path for Harvey is as a priority free agent or very late draft pick who earns a roster spot through special teams contributions and a willingness to fill a role in sub packages. If he lands in a zone-heavy defense with patient coaching, there is enough football sense and competitive fight to stick on a 53-man roster for a year or two. But the USC experience is hard to explain away. The physical limitations and the inability to hold a starting job against Big Ten competition put a firm ceiling on how much defensive responsibility he can carry at the next level.
DJ Harvey percentiles vs other Cornerbacks (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate DJ Harvey (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
303.3
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
75.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.