Fifth-year senior who has played in 53 games with 36 starts. Taaffe has a good feel for play design and is assignment-oriented. He’s quick to read and trigger downhill to contest short routes from split safety and robber looks. However, he lacks range to play over the top and speed to carry vertical threats downfield. His run-support angles improved in 2025, but he’s undersized and still falls short as an open-field tackler. Taaffe’s football IQ and special-teams value might need to do the heavy lifting to overcome average traits and athleticism.