Trent

McDuffie

McDuffie (5'11"/193) may not have played in the most elite of conferences, but he has the least yards allowed by a Power Five cornerback in history. He beat Ohio State’s Gareon Conley by 47 yards. 111 yards in a full season is insane, as many cornerbacks can give that up in a game, must less a season. He posted an elite 89.3 PFF coverage grade in 2021 which was top 10 in the CFB. McDuffie is in a tier just below the top guys in Stingley Jr and Gardner, and some are putting McDuffie on that level. He’s a consensus first round pick, and with coverage like that it makes a lot of sense.

This cornerback class has a bevy of different options at the top of the class. From press coverage specialists to fluid athletes, there is something for everyone. Reid’s comparison of McDuffie (5'11/193) to Fuller makes a lot of sense. They are both fluid athletes that are sticky and feisty in coverage that make things difficult for opposing quarterbacks. Just like Fuller was, McDuffie is projected to be a first round pick that can thrive in any defense.

While the Washington offense was not very good, the defense was the complete opposite. The Huskies were one of the better passing defenses in the country thanks to Kyler Gordon and McDuffie (5'11/193) on the corners. McDuffie was the only cornerback over the last three years to have an 80 or higher PFF grade (2021: 86.8, 2020: 80.6, 2019: 85.4). He’s being projected as a first-round pick and is considered the third-ranked corner behind Ahmad Garnder and Derek Stingley. He’s excellent in press coverage and shows he can recognize plays. He possesses all the tools to be a high-caliber corner.

McDuffie (5'11/193) has been talked about as an early-round pick for much of the offseason, and he’s found himself creeping more into the first-round conversation for a host of reasons -- one being how aggressive he is at the catch point, making it difficult for receivers to make a solid catch and making him a turnover threat to opposing quarterbacks. Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus sees McDuffie and others as potentially elite talents. “Depending on your scheme, Derek Stingley Jr., Sauce Gardner and Trent McDuffie could all be seen as elite talents on some boards,” Renner wrote.

McDuffie (5'11/193) is a very clean prospect who is really feisty with the ball in the air. Even though he has short arms, they haven’t hindered McDuffie in coverage, as he is sticky throughout the route. This is where the comparison to Alexander makes a lot of sense. Alexander plays exactly the same way, making it really tough on receivers to get a clean opportunity to catch the ball. As McDuffie goes through the process, his draft stock will likely reflect that of Alexander, a mid-first-round pick.

McDuffie (5'11"/193) has been moving into the first-round conversation even before the combine and his showing in Indy has helped. He has outstanding length and excellent coverage and helped Washington’s pass defense be one of the shining highlights on an underwhelming team. Being compared to Ronde Barber is high praise as he was a five-time pro bowler, inducted into the Buccaneers Ring of Honor, and named to the NFL 2000’s all-decade team. You should anticipate his name being called early during Day 1 in a talented cornerback draft class.

McDuffie (5'11"/193) is considered by some as the top cornerback of this year’s class. His strong 40-yard dash is a good box to check at the start of the combine, but still has agility drills and individual performance drills to complete on the day. During his time at Washington, McDuffie totaled 95 tackles and two interceptions per PFF.com. He has not allowed a receiving touchdown since 2019.

The rise of McDuffie (5'11/195) in mock drafts and big boards has been one of the bigger ones during this cycle. PFF draft analyst Mike Renner said about McDuffie “Outside of length, McDuffie has everything you could want from a high-end cornerback. At only 5-foot-11, McDuffie plays consistently bigger than his listed size. He’s allowed only 16 catches from 36 targets for 111 yards with no scores and five pass breakups.” He currently ranks as PFF’s second-ranked cornerback behind Derek Stingley Jr.

This was quite a wild card from Trapasso, as the Ravens have two all-pro cornerbacks and glaring holes elsewhere on the roster. Trapasso addresses the idea of McDuffie (5'11/195) going to Baltimore explaining that he can “do many things” on defense and the Ravens “will deploy him all over the secondary.” For a defense that saw a lot of injuries this past year, the versatility that McDuffie provides will help mitigate any injuries that may happen moving forward.

What’s notable about this prediction isn’t so much McDuffie’s (5'11/195) landing spot or draft position, but rather that Jeremiah projects Minnesota to take McDuffie over consensus number one cornerback, Darryl Stingley Jr. Jeremiah cites the Huskies’ standout as being one of the cleanest evaluations in the draft, and that he’s a natural fit for the Vikings thanks to their desperate need for an outside corner. On 296 coverage snaps in 2021, he allowed just 16 catches on 36 targets for 111 yards and no touchdowns, as McDuffie is well on his way to earning a first round selection.