Michael Taaffe Calls Out Doubters at Texas Longhorns Pro Day

The Texas Longhorns held their annual Pro Day on Tuesday, where NFL teams got the chance to look at some of the top draft-eligible players on campus. The Longhorns had 16 athletes participate in the on-campus showcase.

Texas' defensive back Michael Taaffe was among the players headlining Tuesday's workouts, and even took time to address the media afterwards. Taaffe spoke on how he felt about his growth leading up to this year's NFL Draft.

While he was a standout pass-defender during his time in Austin, Taaffe is still projected to be a second or third-round draft pick. The Austin, Texas native revealed to the media that he believes that he's checked every box to increase his draft stock.

"I've Checked the Box on Everything"

Oct 11, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive back Michael Taaffe (16) leads the team on to the field against the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Before the NFL Draft on April 23, scouts often give prospects a list of things they can improve on to raise their stock. When Taaffe was asked about what he wanted to show scouts at Texas' Pro Day, the defensive back answered by saying that he believes he's checked every box.

"Yeah, I think these last three months, I've checked the box on everything," Taaffe said. "So today I can fully say that. Went up to the combine and ran a 4.46 hand time, 4.50 laser, which everybody thought I was gonna run a 4.60, so I checked the box there."

Taaffe also went into depth on how he's continued to prove people wrong, highlighting that his athleticism was something that many scouts questioned. He framed the Pro Day as the final step in his preparation and a chance to turn months of work into something that critics could see for themselves.

"Did DB drills out there, and looked really good, checked the box there. Did really well in the interviews, I thought, and checked the box there. And then today, everybody said I wasn't athletic, and I got to show my speed and my power, my agility, they said I couldn't change direction, they say I can't play man to man. And so everything that they doubted, every question mark as me as a player, I think I just proved that wrong..."

The Texas defensive back has always been one to speak with confidence, but his tone after Pro Day carried a little more weight. It's clear that Taaffe not only believes he's ready for the next level, but also feels he's still being overlooked.

For Taaffe to be given goals and meet them head-on shows how he keeps pushing through criticism instead of backing away from it. And any NFL team would benefit from having a player wired in that manner.

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