Talanoa Hufanga NFL Draft Overview
Position: Safety
Height: 6’-0”
Weight: 199 pounds
School: USC
Talanoa Hufanga 2021 NFL Draft Profile
After yet another strong season in the USC secondary, safety Talanoa Hufanga is skipping his final year of eligibility to declare for the 2021 NFL Draft. The 6’-0”, 199-pound defensive back is coming off what is probably the best year of his collegiate career. Seeing the field for 370 snaps, Hufanga finished the season with 45 tackles and 10 assists with 11 missed tackles.
Hufanga began his college football journey as one of the most sought-after recruits in the nation. Initially receiving 21 offers, the safety decided to sign with USC. He managed to live up to the hype early on, as he played a major role in the defense right out of the gate. As a true freshman, Hufanga recording 43 tackles and 10 assists on 418 snaps.
Strengths
- Hard-hitting, throwback player that will destroy anyone in his zone;
- Big and physical enough to break blocks and blow up runs;
- Should be able to play a pseudo-linebacker position at the next level;
- Decent straight-line speed which, combined with aggression, makes for a good blitzer;
- Takes direct line to stop run plays, rarely wastes steps.
Weaknesses
- Not a good lateral mover – will not succeed as a deep safety;
- Lacks the speed to stay with running backs in the passing game;
- Below-average acceleration – takes a while to reach maximum speed;
- Physical style of play has already given way to injuries;
- Below-average athleticism will lead to a fairly limited ceiling;
- Already suffered a concussion, dislocated shoulder, and broke right collarbone twice thanks to physical style of play;
NFL Comparison: Bernard Pollard
Teams With Need At Position: New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints
Projection: 5th/6th Round
Bottom Line on Talanoa Hufanga
Talanoa Hufanga is another player that is more fun than he is good. Fans of old-school football everywhere will absolutely love his highlight reel, as it’s nothing but big hits and punishing plays. The USC product has the ideal football IQ to diagnose run plays and the straight-line speed and strength to blow them up as they develop. These tools also make him a pretty effective blitzer, albeit that probably won’t be a major part of his game.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much room in the league for box safeties that struggle to defend the pass. While Hufanga has decent north-south speed, he’s one of the worst safeties in the league when it comes to changing direction and acceleration. He won’t be able to play deep, and he’ll probably struggle to stay with some of the NFL’s shiftier running backs.
Additionally, Hufanga’s play style is writing checks that his body just cannot cash. Thanks to his ferocious hits, the safety has already broken his collarbone twice, dislocated a shoulder, and suffered a concussion. Injuries tend to be more about luck than actual avoidance, but I’m willing to make an exception in this case. Talanoa Hufanga might be able to carve out a role as a depth safety and core special teamer, but it’s hard to see him ever developing into a starter.
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