The Las Vegas Raiders could add to their young, up-and-coming secondary this April by drafting Washington’s Trent McDuffie.
Upgrading or adding to the Raiders’ secondary might not seem like a priority, but Las Vegas shouldn’t pass up on a talent like McDuffie. Which route the Silver and Black take at this year’s draft will hinge on who becomes the new head coach. Right now, the Raiders don’t have a drafting philosophy. However, the defense improved in 2021 and the team currently has a promising young secondary. Of course, adding a versatile player like McDuffie could do wonders for the Raiders and would give them the ability to put different looks together. Of course, this will depend on who’s the defensive coordinator is. Whether it’s Gus Bradley or, say, Vic Fangio, McDuffie would fit well in Las Vegas.
Here’s one reason why Washington CB 22 Trent McDuffie has worked his way into the first round discussion for the 2022 NFL draft. pic.twitter.com/WZSDAN31DN
— Todd McShay (@McShay13) January 7, 2022
Why McDuffie?
Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports recently published his NFL mock draft and has the Raiders slated to pick up McDuffie with the 22nd choice. Essentially, Trapasso believes in McDuffie’s versatility and his ability to man different spots in the backfield.
“McDuffie is a versatile chess piece who can man multiple positions in the Raiders defense that still needs work.”
McDuffie is the third-ranked prospect at his position per Trapasso, so the Raiders would be getting nice value considering the spot he’d be drafted at. The five-foot-11, 195-pound prospect dominated the PAC-12. In his three collegiate seasons, McDuffie accumulated eight pass deflections, 4.5 tackles for a loss, and 71 solo tackles. Also of note, McDuffie was eighth in his conference with six passes defensed last year. Another factor that will help the defensive back in being considered is his special-teams prowess. In 2020, McDuffie was sixth in punt return yards within the PAC-12.
According to Pro Football Focus, McDuffie’s on-field versatility was on full display last season. He lined up in the box a total of 58 times, 12 times in the slot, and 593 times outside wide. He also lined up seven times as a free safety, along with 31 snaps at the defensive line. His 88.7 PFF coverage grade is certainly noteworthy, as is his run defense grade of 78.4 last year. The Draft Network also believes that McDuffie can fit into any NFL defensive scheme, literally paying inside or outside. That’s something the Raiders should take notice of. TDN has him slated to be a starting cornerback in the NFL. Taking a defensive back is not a popular opinion among Raider Nation at the moment, but McDuffie would certainly be an asset in a Bradley or Fangio-led defense.
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*Top Photo: Alika Jenner/Getty Images