- POSITION / DEFENSIVE TACKLE
- HEIGHT / 6’1”
- WEIGHT / 295 LBS
- COLLEGE / APPALACHIAN STATE
- CLASS / SENIOR
- NFL COMPARISON / CHRISTIAN WILKINS
- GAMES WATCHED / (2021) HOME COASTAL CAROLINA, (2021) SUN BELT CHAMPIONSHIP VS. LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE, (2021) HOME SOUTH ALABAMA, (2021) BOCA RATON BOWL VS. WESTERN KENTUCKY, (2021) AT MIAMI (FL), (2021) HOME CHARLOTTE
STRENGTHS: Length and speed are just two of Taylor’s unique traits. Only 6’1” but has very long arms and plays with outstanding balance and strength. Remarkably quick, athletic, and explosive for a 290 lb man. Stout frame with a solid anchor and carries his pads well. Displays exceptional burst to close space on running backs and make stops in the backfield, and has the elite athleticism in space to make plays outside of the tackle box also sideline to sideline. Unusually cat-quick and can shoot gaps when not in prime position to get there. Quick off the snap and gets into his plan very quickly on how to attack. Currently, Taylor is deemed as one of the best interior pass rushers in the class despite playing most of his snaps at the 3, 4, and 5-techniques; he does it with a consistent ability to transfer speed to power and being able to reset his hands along the way as needed. Performs well off the edge against bigger tackles with an array of pass rush moves and the arm length to keep them off of his chest. Highly alert rusher when it comes to keeping track of the quarterback inside/outside the pocket and will routinely flatten out his rush to get home. In 2021, Appalachian State Defensive Coordinator Dale Jones did an excellent job of showcasing all of Taylor’s talents as a pass rusher from one end of the line to the other, and Taylor surely made the most of the opportunities. I currently see him as a 4-3 d-lineman predominantly with a lot of versatility pass rush-wise within that front.
AREAS OF WORK: Pass rush-wise, his lack of size on the interior at the next level could hinder him, and that’s a major concern when rushing the passer is your selling point. Taylor is a very strong player when it comes to stacking the point and utilizing leverage against one blocker. However, he struggles just as strongly against combination blocks, battles with disengaging, and will get washed out of the play in most cases. In spite of being a shorter defensive tackle, he doesn’t always break down properly, which leads to him coming in too high and missing simple tackles that an athlete of his caliber should never miss. That alone is the main reason I don’t envision him taking a ton of snaps inside at 1-tech at the next level. He has to become as consistent and stout against the run as he is against the pass in order for him to consistently play on the interior. Shows the traits to be a game wrecker in the passing game, but inconsistencies in performance (especially those coming against lesser competition) have some questions being raised. He’s a very experienced and advanced player who can probably step into a rotation and help from Day 1. However, size liabilities, run-stopping concerns, and a high floor could see him selected later rather than earlier.
Edited By: Rupayan “Abs” Samanta.
