Dante Trader Jr., SAF, Maryland
Size:
Height: 5107
Weight: 196
Arm: 31 ¼”
Hand: 8 ⅞”
Accomplishments:
Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Semifinalist (2024)
“Dante Trader Jr. is a physical and competitive safety who projects as a multi-phase contributor at the next level.”
Strengths:
Competitive
One-on-one tackling
Coverage instincts
Quick twitch
Concerns:
Length
Average athletic profile
Pursuit angles
Film Analysis:
A four-year contributor for the Terrapins, Dante Trader Jr. is a highly competitive safety with good instincts and evident alignment versatility to fill a variety of roles during his career in College Park.
In coverage, Trader is a patient deep-third safety. What he lacks in acceleration, he makes up for in identifying offensive route concepts and tendencies as games progress. While not the largest of athletes, Trader makes opponents work for every inch in man coverage. Has no issue aligning in press-man over flexed TEs and has shown the footwork and mirroring ability to eliminate TEs from a progression. Can initially get blown off the ball at times, but does well to work back into phase and into throwing lanes (Michigan State). Can be described as a gnat in coverage due to his ability to swarm and pester opponents as the route develops.
Trader does well to utilize the contact window to his advantage and is a player who uses his footwork and quickness to his advantage against larger players. Instead of sitting on the back of pass-catchers over the middle of the field, Trader will put his body in the direct pathway of his opponents, forcing them to go through his body if they want to make a play on the football. It’s one of the ways in which Trader showcases his high level of competitiveness, no matter who aligns in front of him. Does not currently have the range to live as a centerfield type of safety at the next level, but his physicality downhill and success against larger athletes in space should present Trader with opportunities to expand his role in coverage down the line.
As a run defender, Trader plays with excellent pop behind his pads and, like in coverage, isn’t afraid to mix it up. Sound tackler who is quick to work downhill from depth. Technique is outstanding to get ball-carriers to the dirt, where Trader can approach and lower his shoulder in a textbook tackle, or shoot through the ankles of his opponent to quickly take them off their feet. He won’t disengage once he’s latched and his ability as an extra body in the run will hold weight for teams in need of a safety to boost run support.
Concerns remain toward his top-end speed and range, potentially limiting his impact as a single-high, Cover 2, or centerfield defender in Cover 3. He’s best mixing it up in the box, disrupting timing on all three downs with a hunger for the ball.
Overall, Trader projects as a multiphase contributor at the next level who will challenge for snaps at multiple levels of a defense.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Scheme Specific Contributor
Written By: Ryan Fowler
Exposures: Oregon (2024), Penn State (2024), Minnesota (2024)
