Michael Taaffe

The Player

Taaffe is lean with short arms and good—but not elite—top-end speed. However, he’s a much better football player than his athleticism suggests, and he’ll have a high floor in the NFL. He makes quick reads, closes quickly, and times his hits well when driving on passes. He reads the quarterback, tracks the ball well in single-high looks, and can turn and run with running backs when he lines up in the box. He doesn’t have the length or range of a true center fielder, and his smaller frame raises concerns about his ability to match up with tight ends and bigger slot receivers in the NFL. He can overreact to play-action. 

But Taaffe is a ball hawk who finished his college career with seven interceptions. He played both ways in high school, which is evident in how he tracks and catches the ball. His arm length is a red flag for an NFL safety, and he had no pass breakups in 2025 (but he had eight in 2024). He’s physical and jars the ball loose from ballcarriers upon making contact. He is adept at reaching in and playing through the receiver’s hands, and he times his jumps well in underneath coverage. 

He chases the run with great effort and had 96 tackles over the past two seasons. He’s not built like a box safety, but he can shoot gaps and beat blockers to the point of attack when he plays in the box. He cut down on his missed tackles in 2025, but that part of his game remains a concern. He takes poor angles and sometimes has a hard time getting bigger ballcarriers on the ground.  

He lined up at free safety for 1,344 snaps, in the box for 390 snaps, and over the slot for 299 snaps over the course of his college career, according to PFF. He also covered kickoffs and punts. He has played in 53 games, with 36 starts, and was named the 2025 Wuerffel Trophy winner. He is a fifth-generation Longhorn alum.

The Draft

Taaffe is a mid-round prospect. At least one Texas defensive back has been selected in four of the past five drafts—two were selected in the first two rounds last year.   

The Projection

Taaffe is a good candidate to start his professional career as a no. 4 safety and special teams player. Taaffe and Jordan Poyer, a 2013 seventh-round pick, have similar frames and top-end speed. Poyer was released as a rookie and didn’t establish himself as a starter in the NFL until several years into his career. He’s started 138 games over the past nine seasons.