2021 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Talanoa Hufanga

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Talanoa Hufanga, 6-1/210 Safety USC

Talanoa Hufanga Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Tough run defender

Physical

Has some instincts

Flashed ball skills in 2020

Solid in short zone coverage

Read-and-react skills

Plays downhill

Good height, length

Willing tackler

Hard hitter

Weaknesses:

Has some issues in coverage

Man-coverage limitations versus WRs, shifty TEs

Not a great fit as the deep free safety

Medical concerns

Could have speed limitations for the NFL

Could be a backup-, special teams-caliber player

Summary: The SEC, Big XII and ACC came close to playing something of a normal seasons in 2020, but the Big Ten and Pac-12 lost a lot of games to the pandemic and delayed the starts of their seasons. As a result. it was more difficult for players in those conferences to break out. Hufanga was player who was able to accomplish that difficult task though, dominating the Pac-12 in 2020 with tremendous production of 62 tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles, one pass broken up and four passes intercepted over only six games. In 2019, he collected 90 tackles with 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and three passes defended. Hufanga totaled 51 tackles and four passes defended as a freshman.

Hufanga could compete at strong safety for the NFL. He might start out as a backup and develop into a starter, but he will need to develop more versatility in pass coverage. Currently, Hufanga is a solid zone safety in the short to intermediate part of the field. He has solid route recognition and vision to flow to the correct receiver. Hufanga also showed improved ball skills and awareness as a junior compared to his previous seasons, so he has upside in that regard. Hufanga also could play some man coverage on the average tight end, but he lacks the twitch and speed to go man-to-man on a good receiving tight end or a slot receiver. Another limitation is downfield, as Hufanga does not have range and speed to be a deep free safety who can lock down the back portion of the field.



Hufanga is a tough run defender who will deliver some hard hits and plays downhill. With his size and strength, Hufanga could contribute as the eighth man in the box and serve as a red-zone/goal-line run defender. He does a nice job of dodging blocks and getting to the ball-carrier when working through trash.

Hufanga could lack the speed and coverage ability to develop into a Pro Bowl-caliber safety, but he could grow into being a decent starter. Durability is a concern with Hufanga, as he already suffered a concussion, two broken collarbones and a dislocated shoulder. With his aggressive and physical play, staying healthy is a real concern for Hufanga.

In the 2021 NFL Draft, Hufanga could go as high as the third round. He should not slide lower than the early rounds of Day 3.



Player Comparison: Deone Buccanon. Buccanon (6-1, 211) and Hufanga are almost identical in size and possess a similar physical style of play. Both have pass-coverage limitations for the NFL. Buccanon was a huge reach and bust for Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim as a first-round pick, but Buccanon has managed to stick in the NFL as a rotational backup. Hufanga could follow a similar track if he can stay healthy.

2021 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2021 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford Tutu Atwell, WR, Louisville Jhamon Ausbon, WR, Texas A&M Aaron Banks, G, Notre Dame Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama Carlos Basham, DE, Wake Forest Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota Nick Bolton, LB, Missouri Baron Browning, LB, Ohio State Dyami Brown, WR, North Carolina Spencer Brown, OT, Northern Iowa Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia Jackson Carman, OT, Clemson Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU Andre Cisco, S, Syracuse Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa Sam Cosmi, OT, Texas Jabril Cox, LB, LSU Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky Wyatt Davis, G, Ohio State Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame D'Wayne Eskridge, WR, Western Michigan Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State Paris Ford, S, Pittsburgh Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State Kenny Gainwell, RB, Memphis Richie Grant, S, Central Florida Najee Harris, RB, Alabama Kylin Hill, RB, Mississippi State Trey Hill, C, Georgia Jevon Holland, S, Oregon Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina James Hudson, OT, Cincinnati Talanoa Hufanga, S, USC Creed Humphrey, C, Oklahoma Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State Mac Jones, QB, Alabama Patrick Jones, DE, Pittsburgh Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami Kelvin Joseph, CB, Kentucky Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama Walker Little, OT, Stanford Hunter Long, TE, Boston College Terrace Marshall Jr., WR, LSU Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan Tre' McKitty, TE, Georgia Davis Mills, QB, Stanford Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU Elijah Molden, CB, Washington Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M Dan Moore Jr., OT, Texas A&M Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama Israel Mukuamu, CB, South Carolina Jamie Newman, QB, Wake Forest Greg Newsome, CB, Northwestern Daviyon Nixon, DT, Iowa Dayo Odeyingbo, DE, Vanderbilt Osa Odighizuwa, DT, UCLA Azeez Ojulari, LB, Georgia Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington Joseph Ossai, LB, Texas Jayson Oweh, DE, Penn State Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah, LB, Notre Dame Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State Kwity Paye, DE, Michigan Ronnie Perkins, OLB, Oklahoma Jaelan Phillips, DE, Miami Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota Aaron Robinson, CB, Central Florida Quincy Roche, OLB, Miami Larry Rountree, RB, Missouri Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State Trey Sermon, RB, Ohio State Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon Tyler Shelvin, DT, LSU Rashawn Slater, C, Northwestern DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama D'Ante Smith, OT, East Carolina Trey Smith, G, Tennessee Marquez Stevenson, WR, Houston Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Oklahoma Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina Sage Surratt, WR, Wake Forest Patrick Surtain, CB, Alabama Tamorrion Terry, WR, Florida State Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida Kyle Trask, QB, Florida Joe Tryon, DE, Washington Jay Tufele, DT, USC Payton Turner, DE, Houston T.J. Vasher, WR, Texas Tech Alijah Vera-Tucker, OT, USC Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama Tylan Wallace, WR, Oklahoma State Rashad Weaver, DE, Pittsburgh Javonte Williams, RB, North Carolina Rodarius Williams, CB, Oklahoma State Marvin Wilson, DT, Florida State Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

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