The crown jewel of Washington’s 2022 NFL Draft class is cornerback Trent McDuffie. The former four-star recruit forced his way into the lineup the moment he stepped on campus, and has made Pac-12 receivers’ lives hell for the next three years. But instead of talking about why McDuffie is a great NFL prospect, I’m going to plug myself and say check that out in my draft report on him, right here.
I’ve spoken to scouts who have McDuffie ranked as high as second among cornerbacks in this class (behind Cincinnati’s Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner), so it seems all but certain that McDuffie will end up being taken in the first round on Thursday, April 29th. So with that being said, where does he fit best at the next level? And where are his most likely landing spots?
Minnesota Vikings
It sounds like the Vikings, who are currently picking at 12th overall, is where fans should start keeping an eye out for McDuffie’s name to be called. One source with intimate knowledge of the team told me that one plan that’s being floated around is that Minnesota would like to trade back to collect a few picks later in the draft, and select McDuffie. However, if they can’t find a trade partner and feel that the Husky corner is the best player on their board, we could see him come off the board pretty early on in the night.
Philadelphia Eagles
Currently sitting at 15th and 18th overall, the Eagles have been linked to McDuffie for multiple months, and with two first-round picks, along with a glaring hole at their second cornerback position. Darius Slay was excellent for Philly in 2021, and adding McDuffie to the mix would be a huge boost for a team looking to get over the hump in the NFC East and get back to the playoffs.
New England Patriots
After losing J.C. Jackson in free agency, the Patriots are looking awfully thin at corner, and Bill Belichick will certainly fall in love with the super athletic McDuffie at 21st overall. While he’s a little undersized, if there’s anyone who knows how to scheme correctly with him, it’s the greatest head coach of all time. New England would find a way to have McDuffie travel inside and out depending on the matchup. Utilizing McDuffie in the slot against specific receivers is going to help him succeed quickly at the next level, and the Patriots might be the best team at putting him in the best position to succeed.
Buffalo Bills
Buffalo at 25th overall feels like the floor for McDuffie. They’ll be missing All-Pro Tre’Davious White for at least the first part of the season due to an ACL tear that he suffered late in 2021, but when he comes back, he and McDuffie could end up becoming one of the best cornerback duos in the NFL. The Bills seem to be just a piece or two away from becoming the best team in the AFC, and McDuffie could be that piece that puts them over the top. McDuffie stated at his Pro Day that Buffalo is one of the teams that he developed the best relationship with during the draft process.
