New Mexico's Taurrian Stafford is a force to be reckoned with on the offensive line. The 6'5 315 lb draft prospect has played every spot on the interior O-Line, while giving up zero sacks and QB hits over his past two seasons.
Stafford, who began his collegiate career at Alabama State before transferring to New Mexico, has the size, stature, skill, and mindset to be an NFL star. However, due to playing at a lower-D1 level, he has not gotten the draft-recognition which he is deserving of.
I spoke with Stafford about his preparations for the draft, football experiences, and mentors. Additionally, he spoke on his respect for, and relationships with, current NFL linemen, including Patriots guard Atonio Mafi.
To begin, Stafford told me how he is working Monday-Saturday with trainers and coaches at Redline: "They're over helping me out with getting prepared for the combine... the combine drills, and pro-day drills." While training with Redline, Stafford also mentioned his work with Crafting Linemen, who similarly have helped with NFL Combine-esque drills, and changing Stafford's body.
His biggest goal for the combine is to "get a 4.9 40-yard dash. That'd be something crazy. But [his] real goal is...to showcase how fluid [he is]...just being a fluid offensive lineman." When asked how many bench-press reps he is aiming for, Stafford told me he is shooting for 25+.
Draft preparations aside, what stood out most about Stafford was easy to set apart: his mindset and attitude towards the game. Stafford mentioned his ability to be a "mauler," telling me how he loves to "do the extra and do the most." This stems from his love for playing offensive-line, which came immediately after first practice as an O-Lineman in high school.
Previously a quarterback before hitting a growth-spurt and switching to defensive-line, Stafford switched to offensive-line due to a coach offering him a chance to get out of post-practice gassers. Since then, Stafford never looked back. On the switch from D-Line to O-Line, Stafford said to me, "I love it. It's a different type of aggression that you can bring to it."
He further detailed playing on the offensive-line by describing how "it's just a street fight...it's just like mano a mano. And knowing that [he] can just put [his] hands and just...dominate another man, to basically embarrass...take the will out of another man." That mentality of dominating on the field follows Stafford daily.
On what inspires him to stay consistent, Stafford told me about a promise he made to himself: "No one's gonna put me on their highlight tape...You gotta protect the president, when you got a quarterback behind you, that's the president." Not many protect the president better than Stafford, who's only collegiate sack allowed came in a game where he played offensive-tackle for the first time of his career.
"Even my one sack that I gave up in my whole career, that was me having to go to tackle because our tackle was down. And like I said, I'm a versatile lineman. I went to tackle that whole game, and that was one sack of...give or take 60 pass snaps." The versatility of Stafford is one of many traits which should jump out to NFL GMs considering taking a chance on him in April. Stafford has the ability to comfortably play each position on the interior offensive-line.
His versatility taught him the value in making himself available, describing it as "every coach's dream." Stafford detailed this in his story of transferring to New Mexico from Alabama State, where he originally planned to play center.
Stafford recognized that New Mexico already had "a hell of a right guard," causing him to make the decision to compete for the starting center position. In this competition, Stafford told me "he helped me, I helped him. We raised each other's competition, and he ended up playing good as hell." Despite still having the upper-hand, Stafford recognized his team's lack of a starting-caliber left guard, and opted to fill that gap instead.
On what makes him unique, Stafford told me how he is "here to make everyone better. [He's] here to make everyone around [him] enjoy getting better, enjoy coming in there and then attacking everyday." It became clear that his versatility and attitude make him a truly special talent in this year's draft class.
To his teammates, nobody cares more about them than Stafford. However, when lining up against an opposing team's defensive-line, his mindset shifts. His love for physicality makes him a nightmare to line up against. Stafford described to me that when he is on the field, he ensures that his matchup and himself are "not walking out of this game without no bruises. They're gonna be aching in the morning. If you line up in front of [him], you're gonna be aching in the morning."
Similarly, Stafford said how "there's a lot of O-Linemen who shy away from contact, so it's like...me having a nose for hard-knocks football. I like thuds, I like to hear the pads." This hard-knocks style football has helped numerous late-round linemen thrive in the NFL. Most notably, it is the same-type of football that has allowed New England Patriots linemen to dominate for decades.
Stafford's domination has also helped him realize that he is "not playing against the person in front of [him]. [He's] playing against [him]self." When in his zone, nobody can stop him. He jokingly recalled seeing D-Linemen "acting all fake-crazy...like they're just some animals." However, once Stafford "impose[s his] will on them, you just see them start either being quiet or they become some outstanding individuals."
Furthermore, Stafford mentioned how, in games where he starts on a lower-note, he has a conversation with himself, asking "man what am I doing? Go. Just, what're you doing...pick your shit up." While having these conversations in his mind, Stafford also picks himself up through remembering "you're still human. You already got the world beating against you. You can't join 'em."
Stafford understands the necessity of "attacking everything 100%, from meetings, to practice, to games, to even weights." He says this is largely accredited to Byron Bell, a former NFL offensive-lineman from New Mexico. Stafford recalled how Bell was "the one who taught [him] how to practice. He taught [him] how to attack days," before continuing that he has "always been skilled...but Bell's the one who taught [Stafford] to get his practice habits right."
Mentioning how he has always been skilled, I asked when he first realized he had a true football talent. Stafford told me it was in the 7th grade, the day after his brother passed away: "...that next day I threw for...200 passing-yards, two touchdowns, I had like 80 receiving-yards, two touchdowns...As a D-Lineman, I had like two sacks, five tackles...I was just unstoppable."
Finally, when asked to create his dream offensive-line of current NFL players with himself included, Stafford gave some classic answers, followed by one that Patriots fans can enjoy.
"I want to go with the left tackle...Trent Williams....I love what he does...I love how he uses people against them...I love how he uses people's momentum against them." For his center and right tackle positions, Stafford mentioned two Eagles veterans, Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson. Williams, Kelce, and Johnson were all expected answers, with the three dominating the NFL for upwards of a decade.
For his offensive guards? "Put me and Atonio Mafi as the two guards."
Stafford praised Mafi as somebody who he knows "what type of offensive guard he is," before mentioning that he has "seen his dedication, as far as once he transferred over to the NFL."
On the possibility of teaming up with Mafi in the National Football League? "It'd mean a lot...it's like multiple universes coming together because that's a guy who I met at a camp when we was kids, knew of him, then having a chance to play against him over at UCLA...then still keeping in contact. And for us to be on the same team, it'd just be like universes connecting."
Through his skills, mauler-mindset, and desire to put his teammates above anyone, every NFL team would be lucky to have Taurrian Stafford suiting up for them. With questionable depth on the offensive-line, New England is a team to watch for this NFL-ready lineman.
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