Browns: Talanoa Hufanga an intriguing chess piece in 2021 NFL Draft

Scouting report continued

RUN SUPPORT (7.25/10)

Hufanga is a great tackler in the box. However, in space, Hufanga shows struggles breaking down and getting his hands on ball carriers. He shows the ability to work under blockers as he fits into running lanes, and does not hesitate to take on two blockers for a man his size. Hufanga possesses a hot motor as well, playing whistle-to-whistle. He is fantastic at working laterally but shows room to take greater angles in pursuit. Hufanga tends to pull up when taking on contact. When setting the edge, Hufanga has the tendency to get washed away by pullers heading in his direction.

COVERAGE ABILITY (12/15)

The hybrid defender does not show a great deal of grasp in coverage. In zone coverage, Hufanga shows the ability to change directions rather efficiently, putting his fluidity on display. However, his eyes in zone coverage are on a delay as he is slow to read the eyes of the quarterback. In off-man coverage, Hufanga’s feet become heavy as he waits for receivers to get into his frame; he is best in man when he can get his hands on receivers as quickly as possible. When helping inside while cornerbacks have outside leverage, Hufanga provides subtle contact to bump receivers into disadvantageous situations.

VERSATILITY (7.5/10)

He is best when he is playing at or around the line of scrimmage. Hufanga does not show much savvy or determination as a blitzer from the box with consistency, however, he is efficient at collapsing rush lanes and making plays from the backside. Hufanga’s most action comes from the second level, where he has the ability to diagnose what is in front of him. He also shows a great deal of fluidity from the third level of the defense as well. While he can align in the slot in limited reps, Hufanga’s skillset is not suited well for working in space.