Desmond Trufant didn't follow in his big brother Marcus' footsteps when he chose to play collegiate football at Washington (big brother went to Washington State), but he is very likely to become the second member of the family to go in the first round of the NFL draft. Marcus went 11th overall.
While he will read the quarterback's eyes and peek in the backfield, Trufant's keen instincts and physical awareness allow him to recover and rarely give up big plays. He is battle-tested and will be a reliable man coverage corner when left on an island, whether it's outside or in the slot. Cornerbacks with both the feet and quickness to cover in the slot and length/speed to cover outside are rare.
Good open-field runners can sometimes break down Trufant too easily in one-on-one situations,,and while the fight is there, the strength to get off blocks isn't. His aggressiveness will sometimes take him out of plays like wide receiver screens when he guesses early.
Trufant has the speed to blitz, but he doesn't do well when he clashes with a blocking back. Trufant is not a true ball thief. He often opts to knock the ball down instead of try to intercept it and isn't always natural making a play on the ball. Trufant will also occasionally have trouble spotting the ball in the air.
Coming from a football family helps a lot, as Trufant was a four-year (including his true freshman year) player and captain for the Huskies. By all accounts Trufant is a high-character leader and hard worker who will fit right in an NFL locker room.
Trufant has played man and zone and is accomplished at both. He shines the brightest in press-bail because of his combination of aggressiveness and athleticism.
Trufant is not shy against the run and is generally very active, but with mixed results. He closes quickly on plays in front of him and will try to stalemate his blocker to force the running back inside, but sometimes gets overpowered by wide receivers. He's not a strong or sure tackler in the open field, but he's not a liability against the run, either.
Trufant is active with his hands in press coverage, but he doesn't always re-route the receiver or give himself an advantage in coverage. Luckily for him, Trufant has outstanding "makeup" speed, although he can be beaten deep.
Trufant anticipates and guesses well while reading the quarterback's eyes, but he can overcommit and give up receptions because of it. Sometimes it looks like Trufant is running the route better than the receiver he is covering. His footwork and smooth athleticism combine for a nice hip flip to turn and run, and he has an extra gear out of his backpedal. He's confident and should be among the best man coverage corners in this draft.
Trufant can hang in zone coverage, but it is a bit of a waste of his talents. He understands where he needs to be on the field and drives decisively on plays in front of him. He is a quick-twitch athlete who can jump receivers that come into his zone and recover to be involved elsewhere when they are not targeted.
Trufant will get his hands dirty, but he doesn't always wrap up and sometimes relies on throwing his shoulder into a ball-carrier with poor results. He's not as strong as his 16 bench press reps at the combine indicate, so physical receivers may give him problems in the pros after the catch.
When Trufant's jam technique is good, he can re-route while still having the footwork and speed to turn and run with the receiver
Defensive coordinators will love Trufant because he'll be able to play both inside and outside and cover just about every kind of receiver effectively. His durability (47 starts) will combine with that versatility to save a defense when another corner goes down. He projects as a No. 1 corner who won't need safety help over the top.
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