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We love us some Desmond Trufant at the Falcoholic. He was named to the NFL's Top 25 Under 25 List, and we talked multiple times about how how highly rated he is by Pro Football Focus. Trufant came in as a rookie starter at a position that tends to have a massive learning curve, and killed it.
The NFL's Around the League writer Kevin Patra wrote about Trufant, who came in #16 in their Making The Leap series. Click the link for the article, and of course, Trufant showing his ridiculous speed by catching C.J. Spiller in a footrace.
Who does Trufant compare to? According to Patra, the elite cornerbacks in the league.
Standing 6-foot, 190 pounds with a 4.38 40-yard dash, Trufant's combination of size and speed allows him to stick on receivers. He collected 17 passes defensed, with two interceptions and 55 tackles in his first season. He allowed a 53 percent completion percentage and a QB rating of 75.2 against, per Pro Football Focus, fantastic numbers for a rookie corner.
Trufant's stats and size match up well when compared to the first seasons of other now-dominant (and well-paid) cornerbacks such as Joe Haden, Patrick Peterson and Darrelle Revis.
That is very high praise for the third corner selected in the 2013 draft. At this rate Trufant will be there sooner rather than later. I love this following quote.
By the Week 17 matchup against the Carolina Panthers, it was fascinating to watch Cam Newton consistently look toward Trufant's side and immediately move to his next read, not even daring to tempt the young corner.
Patra suggests that Trufant could stand to bulk up and add a bit of strength, and with a few minor fixes, could be an elite player. Patra even believed that Trufant should have made it to the 2014 Pro Bowl over some of the corners selected.
Thomas Dimitroff worked magic getting Trufant, a guy who was severely underrated by many teams and fans. Now he has quickly become a great player. With a little help around him, Trufant could have a truly great 2014. With the rest of the NFC South investing in 1st round wide receivers, Atlanta may need a great season from Trufant.