Inside The Huskies

McDuffie's Draft Stock Continues to Spiral Upward

NFL Network analyst offers highest assessment yet of the Husky cornerback.

Dan Raley

For the longest time, Trent McDuffie shared an emotional embrace with a female friend or family member in the middle of Husky Stadium following the Apple Cup.

Even with eligibility remaining, it was clear the University of Washington junior cornerback at that moment was saying goodbye to college football. 

After losing to Washington State 40-13 and finishing a dismal 4-8, McDuffie couldn't have been faulted had he felt this season was all just a big waste of time for him, especially with Jimmy Lake getting fired and most of the coaching staff soon to be unemployed, as well. 

Trent McDuffie after the Apple Cup.
Trent McDuffie after the Apple Cup / Dan Raley

Yet for McDuffie, he had to have a certain amount of satisfaction for how everything turned out. While the level of play for Husky teammates all around him fell off, McDuffie stuck it out and greatly enhanced his individual football reputation. 

Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network recently released his latest NFL mock draft and he listed McDuffie as the No. 10 overall pick of the first round, going to the New York Jets — the highest draft position for the defensive back yet. 

Should he end up in that particular draft slot, the UW player will command a contract package worth $20.2 million, including signing bonus, well worth the trouble of toughing out a 4-8 Husky showing. 

"McDuffie is an ultra-clean player on tape," Jeremiah wrote in his draft assessment. "He’s quick, fluid, tough, rarely out of position and can play the ball. He’d upgrade the Jets' intriguing mix of talented young players at the position."

In preparation for his next foray with pro football, McDuffie recently signed with Creative Artists Agency in Los Angeles to represent him. It's full speed ahead with a lot of dollars to navigate.

Jeremiah pegged McDuffie as the second cornerback drafted, trailing only Cincinnati's Ahmad Gardner, who projects as the 6th overall pick for the Carolina Panthers. 

Of Pac-12 players in this mock draft, McDuffie is positioned below Oregon edge rusher Kayvon Thiibodeaux at No. 4, also supposedly going to the Jets, and Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd, at No. 7 and drafted by the New York Giants. McDuffie ranks ahead of USC wide receiver Drake London, slotted No. 16 to the Philadelphia Eagles, and his Husky cornerback running mate Kyler Gordon, going No. 27 to the Buffalo Bills. 

If in need of a second opinion on McDuffie, Bleacher Report has the Westminster, California, native going 23rd to the Arizona Cardinals, which would be ironic. That would pair him up in a secondary with a couple of former Huskies in safety Budda Baker and cornerback Byron Murphy.

"McDuffie is a crafty cornerback with the skills to play in multiple schemes and positions in an NFL secondary," BR wrote. "He is a top-notch athlete with very good speed, with the fluidity to sink his hips and quickly get out of breaks. McDuffie performs best in zone coverage, where he can see routes develop in front of him, along with quick-release balls that he can anticipate and jump.

"He does a good job of fighting through the hands of a receiver, though he can get stuck on the back of bigger receivers and tight ends. Very physical when it comes to tackling. He will throw his body around and run through ball-carriers. A consistent negative in the running game is that McDuffie may consistently choose to beat blocks with speed, expanding running lanes at times."

ESPN's Mel Kiper, of course, has to weigh in on McDuffie. Kiper likes the former Husky going near the end of the first round, at 27th to the Buffalo Bills, the slot occupied by Gordon in Jeremiah's mock draft.

"Buffalo doesn’t have many holes on its roster, but Tre’Davious White’s season-ending knee injury in November put the focus on its cornerback depth," Kiper wrote. "This late in the first round, teams are hoping for rookie starters, but they’ll also take high-upside prospects who could grow into starters in time. McDuffie can cover wideouts outside or from in the slot, so the versatility is a plus. He was very good in man coverage for the Huskies."

When it comes to McDuffie, Jeremiah might be the most astute. Three months from the NFL talent dispersal in Las Vegas, he's certainly offering the most complimentary assessment for the cornerback.

Yet all any of these draft experts really needed to see was how well the Husky defender played for a bad team, understanding his unfailing motivation on top of that superb skill level, to gauge his pro football commitment. 

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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