Husky Football: Desmond Trufant Solidifies First Round Status At Combine

Yesterday I wrote that Trufant wouldn’t live or die based on his combine workout. With four years of quality game tape and a particularly dominant senior year for NFL GMs to pour over, I said a pretty pedestrian (for NFL-level defensive backs) 4.5 forty-yard dash time, and similarly average numbers in the other drills, wouldn’t necessarily knock him out of the 1st round, where he has been projected to go since the Senior Bowl. However, while that was the focus of the post, I also mentioned that Trufant had the chance to send his stock soaring up with a well above-average workout, especially if he posted a great forty time.

Feb 25, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Washington Huskies defensive back Desmond Trufant runs the 40 yard dash during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

For NFL teams looking at Trufant as a possible selection at corner, there are really three primary things to consider as far as the tangible, physical makeup of a prospect. Physical build, positional skill, and athleticism. At 5’11 5/8″ and 190 pounds, Trufant doesn’t fit the mold of the Richard Sherman-type monster that is en vogue, but his size is perfectly fine. Next, Trufant obviously demonstrated throughout his college career that he is a skilled, consistent one on one, man-coverage corner. But while his athleticism isn’t something scouts have necessarily questioned a ton (he wouldn’t be considered a first-round corner if scouts thought his athleticism was a big issue), but I believe he has been pegged as an average athlete. But throw those doubts out the window with a blistering forty-time and an eye-popping vertical leap, and all the sudden GMs can look at Trufant and see a sure-fire first round pick with minimal risk of failure.

Turns out, that is exactly what Desmond went out and did this morning in Indianapolis. His forty-yard dash was first unofficially listed at 4.31, but the official time of 4.38 is still fantastic. To put it in perspective, only two corners were faster than Trufant. Darius Clay of Mississippi State, who was seen as a middle-round pick but may move up into the 2nd or 3rd based on this showing, ran a 4.36, and Dee Milliner of Alabama, who is seen as the consensus number one corner available in the draft, just barely edged out Trufant with a 4.37. Overall, 4.38 was the 8th overall time recorded at the entire combine.

How about the other drills? In the 225-pound bench press, Trufant completed 16 reps, good enough for a solid 6th among the corners. No one at the position completed more than 22. Similarly, the Washington product finished 6th in the vertical leap with 37.5″, with the best leap a three-way tie at 40.5″. In the 20-yard shuttle, he was 2nd at his position 3.85 seconds, just .01 seconds longer than B.W. Webb. And that 2nd among the corners was also good for 2nd in the entire combine.

In a single day, with a handful of drills, Trufant has now likely guaranteed himself a first-round spot. And among the corners in the draft, I would now consider Trufant number two behind only the aforementioned Dee Milliner, who will go in the top ten picks. Johnthan Banks has been seen as a possible 2nd best corner since the season ended, but his 4.6 forty may hurt his stock. Xavier Rhodes of Florida State could also be argued as the 2nd best, but I think Trufant will end up being taken 2nd at the position. As far as where in the round Trufant can expect to go, I would say that anywhere from 12-25 is distinctly possible. Feel free to comment with your guess as to which team will draft him.