Buffalo Bills 2022 NFL Draft Prospect to Know: Trent McDuffie

After the moves this offseason, the cornerback position is one that the Buffalo Bills are likely to have high on their draft board. One player that could be a good fit for this defense is Trent McDuffie from the University of Washington and the team has already met with him at the NFL Combine.

Let’s take a closer look at the player and why he would have a good chance to start as a rookie.

Measurables/Stats

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 193 pounds

Arms: 29 3/4″

Hands: 8 3/4″

Trent McDuffie played in 27 games over three seasons at the University of Washington and created one of the top cornerback duos in college with Kyler Gordon on the other side. In those games, McDuffie had 94 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss, two interceptions, three fumble recoveries and eight passes defended.

NFL.com Scouting Report by Lance Zierlein

"Three-year starter whose average size is overshadowed by skillful ruggedness, allowing him to contest throws from a variety of coverages. He’s an elite competitor with a route-hugging mentality fueled by body control, foot agility, aggression and burst. He’s a pesky press-man defender with the tools to excel in zone. He’s willing to fly downhill and hit anybody near the football. He keeps his eyes on the prize and has an itchy, twitchy trigger to close throwing windows and make plays on the ball. He lacks lockdown traits but has lockdown talent and his competitive energy is contagious. He can play outside or from the slot and carries a very high floor with the potential to become one of the league’s top corners at some point during his first contract."

How Trent McDuffie fits with the Buffalo Bills

If the Buffalo Bills were to draft Trent McDuffie, it likely would be in the first round and would be the first time they drafted a cornerback in the first round since Tre’Davious White in 2017. McDuffie is an experienced cornerback that has the ability to step into this starting lineup from Day 1, similar to what White did as a rookie.

As Zierlein mentions in his scouting report, McDuffie has a high floor and that is one of the reasons I believe he could start right away. He does a good job in zone coverage but also is willing to support against the run, which is something the Bills look for in their cornerbacks.

If the Buffalo Bills were to draft McDuffie it would give this position some stability that it hasn’t necessarily had in the past few years. While Levi Wallace has been the starter, the team was seemingly bringing in competition every year to push Wallace for that spot. If they were to draft McDuffie, the focus would be more on depth rather than questions about who may be starting.