CB, Washington
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 195 lbs
Class: Junior
McDuffie was rated as a four-star recruit coming out of high school and the No. 12 cornerback in the 2019 recruiting class. He received 22 offers, including one from Alabama, but committed to a Huskies program that has established a reputation for producing a number of talented defensive backs. He enters the draft as a two-time All-Pac-12 member and a Third Team All-American in 2021.
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Strengths
It is easy to see why NFL teams will fall in love with McDuffie’s tape. He offers an excellent athletic profile, with outstanding short area quickness and burst out of his breaks. He is one of the more fluid movers you will find at the position, with the ability to really sink his hips through his transitions. His footwork is also quick and refined, with easy mirroring ability. Whilst McDuffie played in a zone-heavy scheme at Washington, his traits are eminently translatable to a defense that plays more man coverage.
McDuffie pairs this athletic ability with some of the best processing skills you will find at the cornerback position. He shows a good understanding of route concepts and you rarely see him fooled by misdirection or double moves. His ability to play with anticipation and jump routes in zone coverage stood out on tape.
There is more to McDuffie’s game than coverage though. Despite not being the biggest cornerback, he is arguably the best run defender at the position in this year’s draft. He is quick to trigger against the run and displays a good understanding of his role and responsibilities against different concepts. His physical playstyle and ability to deconstruct blocks will also earn him plenty of admirers amongst NFL scouts.
McDuffie rounds out his game with some of the best open field tackling ability at the position. Not only is he incredibly willing, but he takes consistently good approach angles and tackles with great form. He logged just six missed tackles on his 101 career attempts with Washington.
Weaknesses
McDuffie offers an incredibly well-rounded game, but he isn’t without his flaws. The most obvious concern when projecting to the NFL will be his size. At 5’11” and 195 lbs he is on the smaller size for a traditional boundary cornerback. Whilst he showcases great physical toughness, he did have some issues when faced with bigger-bodied receivers, both at the line and throughout the route.
The other concern will be his ball skills. Whilst they aren’t a major weakness, McDuffie hasn’t had the kind of production at the catch point that many other corners in this class have. He has logged just nine forced incompletions on 100 career targets and only two of these ended in interceptions. This is partly due to his zone-heavy scheme that didn’t present a lot of opportunities, but he also struggled to locate the ball when he had his back to the quarterback.
Bottom Line
McDuffie offers one of the most well-rounded skillsets you will find in a cornerback prospect. His ability to be an impact player in every phase of the game speaks volumes, and teams will love his competitive nature. His size might mean he isn’t a fit for every scheme, but that won’t stop him from being a quality starter at the next level.
Ideal role: Boundary cornerback in an off-zone heavy scheme
Round projection: 1st round
