11. Davion Taylor, Colorado
Height: 6’0″ Weight: 228
40-Yard Dash: 4.49 seconds
Bench Press: 21 reps
Vertical Jump: 35 inches
Broad Jump: 10 feet 7 inches
3-Cone Drill: 6.96 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.26 seconds
60-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Bio: There are fascinating backgrounds that you come across researching prospects, then there is Davion Taylor’s. He played in just one – yes one – high school football game. His mother is a Seventh-Day Adventist Church member, and as such Saturday is a day of observation. Athletic activities from sundown Friday night until Sunday morning are not allowed. So absent one game his senior year where the sun set at 8:30 at night, Taylor was sidelined. He would practice with the team but spend game nights at home. He did participate in both basketball and track-and-field.
When he turned 18 Taylor was free to make his own choices, and enrolled at Mississippi’s Coahoma Community College to play football. That turned into a scholarship offer from Colorado, which he accepted. He has been a starter in Colorado’s defense for the past two season, in their overhang role.
Stat to Know: Unlike Cameron Brown, Taylor was solid at the tackle point. Pro Football Focus charted him with just 20 missed tackles on 144 attempts during his Colorado career.
Strengths: Taylor is a raw talent with impressive athleticism, as his Combine performance illustrates. He gets to his zone responsibilities well, and in Colorado’s defense he was tasked with a lot of spot-dropping. He can run with tight ends and wide receivers on seam routes well, and can handle man coverage responsibilities. Against the run he is solid, and he does a very good job at setting the edge and turning plays back to the inside. He has the ability to fight through blockers and get to the ball-carrier against the run. Taylor changes directions well, but it is a bit more sudden and violent rather than fluid and natural, which could show up when covering shiftier receivers or running backs out of the backfield.
Weaknesses: Taylor is very raw, and at times seemed like he was still learning the position as a senior. He can lose his feet when taking on blocks, and needs to refine his stack and shed technique. He gets caught peeking into the backfield at times, leaving him susceptible to play-action designs or misdirection plays. He also takes poor angles at times, including when he comes down to set the edge, and this might also be a matter of experience. A final nitpicky thing is his stance: At times he stands with his hips opened towards the sideline, rather than the middle of the field. He almost aligns with his back to the football, forcing him to peek back over his inside shoulder to the play.
Conclusion: A bet on Taylor is a bet on potential. The athleticism is off-the-charts, and someone this raw with that level of athletic ability has a chance to be a true diamond in the rough. The problem is that in this current climate, where practice time is limited to begin with, and rookie mini-camps are up in the air given the COVID-19 crisis, how willing is a team going to be to place that bet?
Comparison: Nate Ebner. This might be a bit of an odd comparison, but Ebner, the special teams ace for the New England Patriots and now the New York Giants, is a hybrid type player who comes from a rugby background. Taylor’s athleticism and potential are going to allow him to stick on a roster, particularly if he contributes on special teams, and given his background and profile that seems likely. What he does beyond that depends on how well he develops. His floor could be that of Ebner’s, a special teams ace for years in the league. But with the right coaching, it could be much more…
Before we close out, just a few Honorable Mention candidates that are also worth keeping and eye on as the draft approaches:
David Woodward (Utah State)
Evan Weaver (California)
Markus Bailey (Purdue)
Shaquille Quarterman (Miami)