How Texas Safety Michael Taaffe Compares to Other NFL Draft Prospects

Could Michael Taaffe be a difference-maker in the NFL like his former teammates Andrew Mukuba and Jahdae Barron?

Texas Longhorns defensive back Michael Taaffe (16) leads the team onto the field against the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Texas Longhorns safety Michael Taaffe’s story is one of taking the road less traveled and prevailing. After turning down an opportunity to enter the 2025 NFL draft, he had an inspiring encore that should solidify his spot as an NFL prospect.

How will the former walk-on fare in the 2026 NFL draft, and can he be a mid-round prospect who outplays his value?

Taaffe has cleared expectations at every step, and he is looking ahead to his next challenge.

How Does Michael Taaffe Compare to Other Safety Prospects?

Texas Longhorns defensive back Michael Taaffe (16) celebrates after the Kentucky Wildcats fail to score during overtime at Kroger Field. | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Following in the footsteps of his former teammates Andrew Mukuba and Jahdae Barron, could Taaffe be the next impact safety out of Texas? Taaffe shared that he is still connected with Mukuba and Barron, who have had an impact on him and his journey as a walk-on.

“The three of us, the bond that we have, it’s been incredible,” Taaffe said at the NFL combine. “They’ve done so much for me, and I can’t say how grateful I am for them because it’s truly out of love."

Taaffe walked on at Texas despite having the opportunity to go elsewhere to play. As a kid growing up in Austin, Texas, he dreamed of playing for the Longhorns. After redshirting his freshman year, he made an impact in his second season and became a full-time starter by Year 3.

With 35 starts in his final three seasons and over 2,000 career defensive snaps, Taaffe is an experienced safety who brings knowledge to the position and is an expert communicator.

Over the last two seasons, Taaffe has recorded PFF coverage grades of 88.8 and 89.4, and he improved his tackling in his redshirt senior year from a 21.3% missed-tackle rate to just 9.3%.

Texas Longhorns defensive back Michael Taaffe (16) holds up his horns with the fans during the singing of the Eyes of Texas after a victory over the San Jose State Spartans at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

In his career at Texas, Taaffe recorded 222 tackles (9.5 for a loss), three sacks, seven interceptions, 14 passes defended and a forced fumble. He was also a two-time All-American and an All-SEC First Teamer.

One thing that will stand out for NFL teams, though, is Taaffe’s off-the-field contributions. Regarded as a great teammate, he also won the Wuerffel Trophy for his impact on his community away from the gridiron.

However, he is also a solid prospect at safety, despite his age. Taaffe turned 23 before the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine but brings experience and a high football IQ. He also performed well in tests and drills, catching scouts’ eyes. His 4.5-second 40-yard dash was more than enough to play at the next level.

Taaffe will likely be a Day 3 pick, sitting right outside the top 100. Several other prospects from the southwest sit in this range, including Bud Clark (TCU), Cole Wisniewski (Texas Tech) and Robert Spears-Jennings (Oklahoma).

He will likely fall behind the more athletically promising prospects, though, like Genesis Smith (Arizona), Jalon Kilgore (South Carolina) and Zakee Wheatley (Penn State).

Michael Taaffe’s NFL Draft Projection

Texas defensive back Michael Taaffe (DB51) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Taaffe shared that he has met formally with several teams at the NFL combine, including the Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions. Barron plays for Denver and Mukuba plays for Philly, which would be a natural fit given Taaffe’s established rapport.

Likely going in the fourth round or later, Taaffe has a wide range of team fits, though he projects as an over-the-top safety, where he played over 64% of his snaps over the last two seasons. However, he can be moved around the field as well.

PFF’s Trevor Sikkema ranked Taaffe 139th on his big board, ninth among safeties. Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN has him outside of his top 10 safeties, and CBS Sports' Mike Renner has him just inside his top 200.

The Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers are common pairings for Taaffe, and the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears are also potential fits. Taaffe could be a premier fit for teams looking for reliable safety play either as a starter or as a rotational player.