Michael Taaffe's Latest NFL Draft Projection Might Surprise You

NFL Draft season is in full-swing.

Seven Texas Longhorns participated in this year's combine, making them likely candidates for late-April's selection.

Each of those players' films has been reviewed and will be graded over the next week, continuing with safety Michael Taaffe. Linebackers Anthony Hill Jr. and Trey Moore, cornerbacks Malik Muhammad and Jaylon Guilbeau and offensive guard DJ Campbell have already been profiled.

The Good

Texas Longhorns defensive back Michael Taaffe after a victory over the San Jose State Spartans | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Taaffe's story will not soon be forgotten by Longhorns fans.

A fifth-generation Longhorn, he was lightly recruited coming out of Austin Westlake despite grabbing two interceptions off of his future teammate Quinn Ewers to help the Chaparrals defeat South Lake Carroll in the 6A Division 1 Championship game. He turned down offers to schools like Rice and Brown to walk-on with the Longhorns.

Taaffe redshirted his first season before becoming a contributor in 2022-2023 and then a leader of the defense and AP second-team All-American. Over his four-year career, Taaffe compiled 222 tackles, three sacks and seven interceptions.

Taaffe's best skill is his leadership. He barks order from the secondary confidently and has his group operate as a unit pre- and post-snap.

He lacks a natural burst out of his breaks but makes up for it with his anticipation and aggression.

He lays big hits without leading with his helmet, avoiding the increasingly loose definition of targeting while striking fear in his opponents.

Michael Taaffe was lying the wood. This is a hit that doesn't happen with previous staffs...the ability to hit someone that hard while maintaining great technique is impressive.

It is not often we see a hit like this without a penalty. pic.twitter.com/K1l0Mfliim
— Nash (@NashTalksTexas) September 22, 2024

Taaffe needed to prove his speed at the combine and did just that, running an impressive 4.5-second 40-yard dash.

He is a smaller defender but is fearless coming down-hill, fitting runs hard and chopping down bigger ball carriers.

Taaffe took better pursuit angles and grew more decisive as a senior, which helped him take his tackling grade from an atrocious 53.3 in 2024 to an impressive 80.5 in 2025.

His experience shows in his zone-discipline and unwillingness to fall for double moves.

Taaffe plays the ball well when in position to do so and has a knack for coming up with plays during the biggest games of the season.

Happy Birthday to Michael Taaffe!
Watch him seal the deal with a clutch pick at the 3-yard line in crunch time, snuffing out A&M's dreams of a comeback or that elusive SEC title shot!
Texas Longhorns vanquish Texas A&M Aggies in a rivalry rumble, 27-17!
Nov. 28, 2025 pic.twitter.com/3XlSYp1Gr4
— Longhorn🤘Highlights (@LonghornClips) February 18, 2026

The Bad

Taaffe occupies a slender frame at 6"0, 189 lbs.

That size prevents him from disengaging from blocks and causes him to frequently cede extra yards when making tackles. It also prevents him from covering tight ends in one-on-one assignments, which was on display at the Senior Bowl.

Taaffe is an ineffective man-coverage defender more often than not. That combined with his frame will likely facilitate a more permanent move to centerfield and deep-half coverages, which will remove his strong playmaking underneath.

While he tested well, Taaffe lacks true sideline-to-sideline speed and occasionally struggles to recover. He may lose even more quickness if required to bulk up at the next level.

He fits runs aggressively but occasionally finds himself out of position on runs. He also drifts out of position when in the box and faced with run-fakes.

Taaffe has good recognition and understands offenses well but lacks elite instincts that get him to plays before they happen.

He was an effective blitzer but only when unblocked. His speed and pre-snap disguise will still warrant him some usage as a blitzer at the next level.

Final Grade

Texas defensive back Michael Taaffe speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Overall, Michael Taaffe is a gritty safety who played a variety of assignments for the Longhorns but will need to major in being a true deep free safety at the next level. He has plus intangibles and requisite athleticism but lacks some upside as an undersized 23 year-old.

The Good

The Bad

Final Grade

Final Grade: Round 4-5