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Desmond Trufant is one of the best corners in the NFL, and 2015 definitely showed that. Trufant is setting himself up for one of the bigger contracts in the NFL at his position. When he came out of college in 2013, I had projected his ceiling to be right up there with the Darrelle Revis's and Nnamdi Asomugha's of the world once he figured the league out. And he's not proving me wrong yet.
2015 Season in Review
Trufant finally made it to his first Pro Bowl in his third season after proving to be one of the NFL's best shut down corners. He had just one interception, but he was targeted the least of any cornerback in the NFL out of all starters for the league. He also impressed in run defense as he was able to set the edge effectively and shed wide receivers consistently. Desmond is one of the best corners in the NFL at this.
He finally started making plays too. His two fumble recoveries in 2015 led to two touchdowns for the Falcons and changed the momentum of the Texans game. Atlanta has a good one here to continue the line of good cornerbacks since Deion Sanders and Ray Buchanon in the 90s and DeAngelo Hall in the 00s. They just need to hold onto their secondary leader.
Contract Breakdown
Trufant is in the final season of his rookie contract. He's scheduled to make a well deserved $600,000 roster bonus this offseason and should have his 2017 option for a top 10 salary at his position picked up pretty quickly. The biggest question is when the Falcons look into a long-term contract for Trufant. If they decide to go ahead and have him play out this season before giving him a long-term deal, that might be the most prudent thing.
2016 Projection
The Falcons should see the same kind of Pro Bowl caliber play from Trufant again in 2016. He's only improved every season as a pro and has become a poor-man's Darrelle Revis within the Falcons scheme. He should continue to be targeted rarely, and as the Falcons improve their pass rush, he should be able to get more playmaking opportunities so that his interception numbers match his actual talent on the field.