One of the most interesting undrafted rookie signings following the 2020 NFL Draft is the Browns agreeing to terms with South Carolina State offensive tackle Alex Taylor. Per his agent, Taylor quickly signed with the Browns after Saturday’s final round ended.
Taylor will be easy to spot in Berea. He’s the 6-foot-9 guy with incredibly long arms (36-plus inches) and giant hands (11 inches).
The Browns are taking a chance on the former basketball standout from the FCS level, hoping that he can continue to grow as a football player. Based on the film I watched and then seeing Taylor in person at the Senior Bowl practices, there is a lot of growth needed before Taylor can sniff the 53-man roster. He’s woefully underpowered and inexperienced as a tackle, playing too methodical and upright.
Taylor does have nimble feet and the arm length is spectacular when he fires it out quickly. He moves cleanly and hits his reach blocks well outside the formation, a critical component of coach Kevin Stefanki’s zone blocking system. But at 308 pounds, he sorely lacks core and lower-body strength, an issue exacerbated by his upright gait; he’s not a natural, instinctive knee-bender.
Expect Taylor to spend a year on the practice squad and hopefully get stronger and more experienced in a de facto redshirt NFL season.