Two Trojans hear their named called in early 2021 mock draft

It’s never too early for a mock draft. NEVER. With idea in mind, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler posted an extremely early 2021 NFL mock draft this week that includes a pair of Trojans, one on each side of the football.

The first player taken out of USC was strong safety Talanoa Hufanga, who went at pick #27 to the Dallas Cowboys. Here’s Brugler’s analysis:

“You don’t need to know Hufanga’s number, just follow the ball and that is where he will be. His aggressive nature will work against him at times, but he competes with outstanding effort and anticipation to make plays versus the pass and the run.”

Hufanga started 10 games for the Trojans in 2019 and has 15 career starts to his name. This past season, the 6’1, 215-pound defender totaled 90 stops, 7.5 tackles-for-loss, 3.5 sacks, three pass breakups, and two forced fumbles.

The second Trojan off the board was offensive guard Alijah Vera-Tucker as he went to the San Francisco 49ers with the 30th pick. Here’s Brugler’s thoughts on the pick:

“Whether he stays at guard or moves to left tackle to help replace Austin Jackson, Vera-Tucker is a very talented blocker who impressed scouts as a first-year starter last season. He is a flexible blocker with range and quickness.”

At 6’4 and 315 pounds, Vera-Tucker started all 13 games last season and has appeared in 25 total. For his efforts in 2019, he was named USC’s Offensive Lineman of the Year on top of earning First-Team All-Pac 12 honors.