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Height: 5-11 5/8
Weight: 190 lbs.
Arm Length: 31 ¼"
40-Yard Dash: 4.38 seconds
Vertical Leap: 37.5"
Short Shuttle: 3.85 seconds
3-Cone: 6.76 seconds (Ran at his pro day, not at NFL combine)
Trufant is going to be the third of his brothers to play in the NFL. His brother Marcus was drafted in the first round by the Seattle Seahawks 10 seasons ago; his brother Isaiah went undrafted but plays for the New York Jets.
Man Coverage:
- Versatility: Trufant has the ability to slide inside and effectively defend the slot, a rare skill for somebody nearing six feet tall
- Quickness: Short shuttle time was 2nd at entire NFL combine among cornerbacks. Very useful in defending short slants and drags, among other routes.
- Very aggressive on every route. Makes every effort to make pass fall incomplete.
- Physical for his size. Not the best route jammer out there, but willing to mix it up at the line of scrimmage.
- Inconsistent tracking the ball in the air. Usually very good at finding ball and making a play on it, but can lose the ball once it is thrown at times.
- Will get beat on double moves occasionally, as he likes to peek in at the quarterback.
- Very, very fluid hips. Can turn and run after bump or on double move.
- Good at ripping ball out of receiver's hands immediately after the catch, causing incompletes
- Experience in press-man and off-man coverages. Successful in both.
- Relies on athleticism to make up for mistakes in coverage and over-aggressive plays.
Zone coverage:
- Good at reading the QBs eyes and breaking on the throw. Very good short-area quickness.
- Strong at high-pointing deep throws in zone, high-points ball better than some WRs.
- When in off-zone coverage, struggles to make tackles. Willing, but lacks strength and technique.
- Instinctual. Reads routes well and reacts quickly.
- Used as deep safety by Washington at times. Good closing and make-up speed.
Run Support:
- Lacks consistent tackling form. Tackles high too frequently, not allowing leg drive to finish tackle and forcing him to use arms.
- Willing to get nose dirty in the run game. Takes aggressive angles into the backfield and 1st level.
- Closing speed allows him to chase down runs to the opposite side.
- Diagnoses run quickly.
- Despite 18 bench reps, struggles to get off blocks at times, often looking to run around blockers instead of taking them head on.
- Could add 10-15 pounds to better take on blocks without harming quickness,
Intangibles:
- Two brothers know the NFL process, can and will help him guide through, allowing for easier transition time.
- Was a vocal leader at Washington, something that will be important as a developing early draft pick.
- Able to make in-game adjustments against particular plays and receivers.
- Very, very smart player.
- Pure athleticism sometimes causes him to fall back in to old habits, relying on physical gifts instead of technique.
- Uses sideline to his advantage, although sometimes too much
Overview:
Trufant has the physical tools and the smarts to be a shutdown corner. He may not grab a very large number of interceptions, but does well at knocking balls down that he can get his hands on. His quickness allows him to make plays on short passes and vertical allows him to defend the deep ball with consistency. Hip fluidity that allows him to play slot corner aids him in turning and running.
Sources:
My own observations from this video courtesy of DraftBreakdown.com: