Eagles add depth to linebacking corps with 103rd pick

With the 103rd pick the Eagles selected Davion Taylor, a linebacker from Colorado. Taylor is a freak athlete who is as raw as they come.

Davion Taylor, a linebacker prospect from Colorado, was selected with the 103rd overall pick in this year’s draft.

After playing next to no high school football, and two years at Coahoma Community College he transferred to Colorado where he started 20 games over two years. Though he racked up 129 tackles over two years, including two sacks and six passes defended, he is as green as they come and likely won’t be an every down contributor for a year or two.

On the other hand, Taylor is an outstanding athlete – posting a 4.49 40 yard dash, 35 inch vertical jump, 127 inch broad jump, 6.96 second three cone drill and 4.26 second 20 yard shuttle. For reference, Jalen Reagor posted a 42 inch high jump, 138 inch broad jump, 7.31 second three cone drill and a 4.46 20 yard shuttle.

 

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As it stands right now the Eagles have Nate Gerry, TJ Edwards, Duke Riley, Jatavis Brown and Alex Singleton in the linebacking room. With the addition of Taylor the group doesn’t become any better in the immediate future as he still has a lot to learn.
This begs the question – do the Eagles have the coaching in place to ensure Taylor takes the necessary steps to become an adequate linebacker at the NFL level – gut feeling is mixed. Look at former Eagles linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill, he – along with Gerry – were former safeties coming out of their respective drafts. With no real linebacking experience Schwartz and linebackers coach Ken Flajole transformed them into serviceable linebackers. Who’s to say they can’t do the same for Taylor?
Then again, Grugier-Hill was a former sixth round pick and Gerry was a fifth rounder, was it worth wasting a third round pick on a guy who has the upside to be a difference making linebacker at the NFL level? If this were to happen in a vacuum I’d agree – the upside to his game is better than the upside to other defensive players on the board at the time. The reality is the Eagles dug themselves into a hole by making a controversial second round pick. Mortgaging a second round pick with a back-up quarterback and following it up with a high ceiling, low floor linebacking prospect with only 24 games of PAC-12 experience isn’t necessarily a recipe for success.
If all pans out Taylor could be a weapon on the defense for years to come, if he doesn’t it’ll be another in a long-line of failed linebackers in recent Eagles memory.

Instant analysis of the Eagles picking LB Davion Taylor in the third-round

Instant analysis of the Eagles picking LB Davion Taylor in the third-round

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The Philadelphia Eagles shook up the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft when they selected quarterback Jalen Hurts at pick No. 53.

In the third round, the Eagles got back to addressing needs, landing versatile Colorado linebacker Davion Taylor at pick No. 103.

A hybrid safety/linebacker in college, Taylor will likely permanently move to linebacker as Howie Roseman continues to retool the Eagles roster with fast players.

With Taylor in the books, here are three takeaways from his addition.

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1. Taylor can fly

A raw player who’s just learning how to play the game, Taylor will bring a new level of speed to the roster.

A track star in high school, Taylor fits the mold at linebacker and could add tremendous versatility to the position.

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Eagles select LB Davion Taylor with No. 103 overall pick in 2020 NFL Draft

Eagles select linebacker Davion Taylor out of Colorado

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The Philadelphia Eagles finally addressed the defensive side of the ball in the NFL, selecting Colorado linebacker Davion Taylor with pick No. 103 in the third round of the NFL Draft.

The Eagles have had constant contact with the undersized linebacker throughout the NFL Draft process, starting at the Senior Bowl.

The Eagles were scheduled to host a top-30 predraft visit with Taylor before the Covid-19 crisis stopped all travel.

At Colorado, Taylor was used as a hybrid safety/linebacker and he could be a perfect replacement for Kamu Grugier-Hill.

Taylor was unable to play football in high school due to religious reasons and after some junior college success, he moved onto Colorado in 2018.

With the Buffaloes, Taylor appeared in 24 games, racking up 129 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss, six passes defended, and two sacks.

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Report: Giants met with Colorado LB Davion Taylor

The New York Giants held a teleconference meeting with Colorado LB Davion Taylor last week.

The New York Giants have been heavily focused on meeting with offensive line prospects ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft, but they’ve also done their fare share of due diligence on the linebacker class.

That continued this past week when the team held a teleconference with Colorado linebacker Davion Taylor, as first reported by Kristian Dyer of Sports Illustrated.

So far, Taylor has had video meetings with the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts according to a source.

He has had phone interviews as well, according to a source, with the Seattle Seahawks, Washington, New York Giants, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans among others.

The 6-foot, 228-pound Taylor is an intriguing prospect with some true upside, but he’s still relatively raw and should be viewed as a developmental talent entering the NFL.

Here is what Lance Zierlein of NFL Network had to say about Taylor:

Traits-based linebacker project with rare speed and explosiveness who may need an extended developmental runway to counter his lack of experience and awareness. Religious beliefs prevented him from playing high school ball (other than a single game) and he is still in the early stages of learning and applying proper technique and fundamentals in all phases of the game. While his inexperience shows up plenty on tape, he has flashes that show off what he could be capable of in the future. Scouts say he’s very coachable and that he’s one of Mel Tucker’s (current CU head coach and former NFL coach) favorites. At best, he develops into a playmaking starter after two or three years. At worst, he should be a plus special teams talent fairly quickly.

Taylor has projected to go anywhere from Round 2 to Round 4.

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Scouting breakdown: The 11 best linebackers in the 2020 NFL Draft

We know Isaiah Simmons is at the top, but what about the rest? How do the linebackers stack for a modern NFL as we look to the NFL Draft?

To paraphrase an idea from the world of politics, do not tell me what you value at a position. Show me your top prospects at a position and I’ll tell you what you value at the position.

We can apply that idea to this list of top linebacker prospects. Look through these names and you will see what I value at the position: Athleticism, the ability to play in space, the fit in the modern NFL, the potential to defend the pass, and the likelihood of being a three-down player.

The players we grew up immortalizing, such as the Mike Singletarys of the world, are a throwback to a different time. An era when “three yards and a cloud of dust” was the rule, not the exception. To be a complete linebacker in today’s NFL you have to be able to stop  the run on first down, and run with a seam route on third down. If you cannot do both, you are not going early in the draft. As such, the players with that ability – or at least potential – are getting the nod on lists like this.

So how do these players shake out?

1. Isaiah Simmons, Clemson

(Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports)

Height: 6’4″ Weight: 238
40-Yard Dash: 4.39 seconds
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 39 inches
Broad Jump: 11 feet
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
60-Yard Shuttle: N/A

Bio: Isaiah Simmons was a two-sport athlete for Olathe North High School in Olathe, Kansas. Simmons was a wide receiver and a defensive back on the football team, and a long jumper for the track-and-field team. Simmons was the state champion in the long jump in both 2014 and 2015, and his career-bests jump was 23’8″. But as a three-star prospect on the gridiron, he committed to Clemson over Michigan, Nebraska and Missouri. He started his career for the Tigers in 2017, playing primarily as a safety. In 2018 Simmons spent most of his time in the slot, and according to Pro Football Focus he fared well, as they graded him with an overall grade of 88.9 playing as a slot cornerback.

Last year, Simmons did it all. He played 100 or more snaps at edge defender, linebacker, strong safety, free safety and slot cornerback. On film, he excelled at every single position.

Stat to Know: Simmons is extremely disruptive at the catch point. He forced eight incompletions, tying him for the top number among linebackers last season.

Strengths: Where to begin? Simmons has the athleticism to cover wide receivers both out of the slot and on the outside. He has the awareness to make plays in space at all levels of the field. He has the size and length to erase tight ends in the passing game. Simmons was built to play defense in the modern NFL. It does not take long to see how he can impact a game. Take the National Championship Game against LSU. Right at the outset, he blitzes off edge on the first play of the game, chases Joe Burrow all over the field and keeps him (as best as he can) in the pocket. Second play of the game, covers Thaddeus Moss on a stick route, plays off him, breaks perfectly on the route for a pass breakup, and he reads the route concept perfectly. He plays sideline-to-sideline against the pass and the run. If you are running a route near him and he can get to you, he is going to put you on your backside with a jam (ask Moss about that). He can play as a half-field safety and break downhill on plays in front of him. He can run stride-for-stride with Justin Jefferson on a crossing route in the red zone.

Simmons can do everything asked of him on the football field.

Some might wonder about his ability to defend the run as a more traditional linebacker. The film shows a player who handles his responsibilities and assignments the right way. For example against Wofford he was tasked with handling the pitch man on speed option plays, and he did that assignment perfectly. So if you ask him to align at middle linebacker and fit into a gap against the run, he will do that too.

Where he does truly stand out is what he can do against the passing game. Given his experience at both safety and slot cornerback, everything feels natural for him. He can play off coverage over receivers, tight ends and running backs and click-and-close to the catch point like a cornerback. When in zone coverage he knows just how long to stick on a route before passing it off to the next defender. While he can play a single- or two-deep safety role, he can also play in the middle of a Tampa 2 in that underneath hole spot and erase tight ends.

Perhaps my favorite play of his is this one from the National Championship Game:

Simmons aligns along the boundary across from running back Clyde Edward-Helarie. He backpedals off the snap and recognizes the route concept, a smash-fade design with the running back running a hitch route and the slot receiver releasing vertically on a fade route. Simmons, despite the rub element to this concept, does not panic. Instead he slides down over the hitch while keeping an eye on Burrow, and when the QB throws the hitch route the defender is in perfect position to break up the throw at the catch point.

Weaknesses: For a player like this, we need to handle the weaknesses section a little differently.

The fear with Simmons is that an NFL team tries to pigeon-hole into a specific role. Whether as a “linebacker” or a “safety,” and by doing so eliminates the versatility and athleticism that Simmons offers on the defensive side of the football. If he is artifically hamstrung by old school minds on his NFL coaching staff, that will reduce much of what he offers. So the hope is that Simmons lands with a forward-thinking defensive mind who employs him more as a matchup weapon than anything else.

Now yes, there are parts of what he has done over the past few years that require a bit of projection. He played in a defense that was predominantly a 3-1-7 defense, and it is unlikely his NFL home is going to copy what Brent Venables put together for Clemson. So projecting him as an off-ball player fitting gaps against the run is a bit of an unknown. But again, asking him to be that kind of player is just overthinking what he can be in the NFL.

So the weakness is really just a lack of imagination from his NFL coaching staff.

Conclusion: The bottom line is that Isaiah Simmons is a defensive specialist that you can employ virtually anywhere on the field. You can see him rush the passer off the edge on first down, lock down a tight end on second down, and run with a slot receiver on third down. He can play a single-high safety look, or as a half-field safety, or even at boundary corner if necessary. His best “traditional” NFL role might be as a middle linebacker in a heavy Tampa-2 defense. He could be the modern version of Derrick Brooks in that role, running with tight ends and slot receivers, but in today’s game there is so much more that he can do. Draft him and just start dreaming of different ways to employ him.

Comparision: Captain America. Iron Man. Superman. Black Panther. Thor. Basically pick a superhero and that is Isaiah Simmons. Except Batman. He was a rich guy who bought a ton of toys. That is my hot take for the day.

Rams had FaceTime call with Colorado LB Davion Taylor

The Rams could use a lot of help at inside linebacker.

Inside linebacker might be the weakest and most uncertain position on the Rams’ roster right now. They’re projected to start some combination of Micah Kiser, Troy Reeder, Kenny Young and Travin Howard, none of whom have started more than eight games in their career.

Les Snead even admitted recently it’s a “very inexperienced group,” but one the Rams are confident can turn into a strong unit.

Not surprisingly, the Rams are doing their homework on the incoming class of linebackers, even in these difficult circumstances created by the coronavirus pandemic. According to Justin Melo of Draft Wire, the Rams recently had a FaceTime call with Colorado linebacker Davion Taylor.

Taylor looks like a modern-day linebacker, standing 6-feet tall, 228 pounds. He ran a 4.49 in the 40-yard dash and posted a 6.96 in the three-cone drill, which showed off his short-area quickness – the fourth-best time among all linebackers.

Last season at Colorado, he broke up four passes, made 72 tackles and recovered a fumble. In two seasons as a starter, he made 18 tackles for loss, as well.

Taylor will likely go sometime between Round 3-5 and would be a good target for the Rams in the fourth. They don’t have a fifth-round pick, so if they want Taylor, they’ll have to take him in the third or fourth, or trade back later on.

2020 NFL Draft: Giants could target these Day 3 prospects

With the 2020 NFL Draft just around the corner, here’s a look at several Day 3 prospects the New York Giants could target.

There’s not much to do these days except analyze the upcoming NFL Draft and what we’ve done here is line up some possible Day 3 candidates for the New York Giants.

In both of the scenarios below, the Giants did not land Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons. In the first scenario, we passed on him at No. 4. In the second, he was gone before the Giants were on the clock.

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Using The Draft Network’s mock draft simulator, here’s how the 2020 NFL Draft played out for the Giants.

Day 1

  • Round 1, Pick 4: Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa

Analysis: Wirfs is a versatile, athletic lineman the Giants sorely need. They have a lot invested in Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley and they need some talent up front to help stabilize the trenches.

Day 2

  • Round 2, Pick 36: Patrick Queen, LB, LSU
  • Round 3, Pick 99: Nick Harris, C, Washington

Analysis: Queen would be a steal here and more than make up for passing on Simmons in the first round. Queen next to Blake Martinez in a 3-4 would be a nice tandem. Harris is a down-and dirty interior lineman cut from the Richie Seubert cloth. Giant fans will love him.

Day 3

  • Round 4, Pick 110: Julian Blackmon, S, Utah
  • Round 5, Pick 150: Isaiah Hodgins, WR, Oregon State
  • Round 6, Pick 183: Antoine Brooks Jr., S, Maryland
  • Round 7, Pick 218: Calvin Throckmorton, OT, Oregon
  • Round 7, Pick 238: Carter Coughlin, LB, Minnesota
  • Round 7, Pick 247: Levonta Taylor, CB, Florida State
  • Round 7, Pick 255: Mitchell Wilcox, TE, South Florida

Analysis: Blackmon is a pretty good fourth round find. I feel he’d start for the Giants right away. Hodgins was a sleeper, but his name has been rising. Not sure he’ll be around at No. 150. Brooks is a physical safety the Giants will find many uses for. Throckmorton would have to excel in camp to make the roster, but he’s got some ability. The final three players are all boom or bust types, but are all good athletes with solid football acumen.

Saints hold pre-draft meetings over FaceTime with several linebacker prospects

The New Orleans Saints had FaceTime meetings with linebacker draft prospects including California’s Evan Weaver and Colorado’s Davion Taylor

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Travel restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic have resulted in NFL teams conducting interviews with draft prospects over video chat services such as FaceTime, and the New Orleans Saints are no exception. It’s nobody’s preference, of course; teams typically fly in 30 prospects for tours of their facilities, private workouts, and one-on-one meetings with position coaches and front office staff. But like other teams, the Saints are working to remain innovative, doing what they can to keep this hurdle from slowing them down.

Justin Melo over at Draft Wire reports that the Saints have spoken with two different linebackers recently, including Colorado prospect Davion Taylor and California’s Evan Weaver. Both players have also touched base with other teams, which isn’t unusual. By the end of this process, just about every draft-eligible prospect will have contacted each team in the NFL.

Weaver (6-foot-2, 237 pounds) was the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, following a senior season in which he racked up 181 total tackles (103 solo, 11.5 for loss of yards), 2.5 sacks, and forced a pair of fumbles. He has been a big part of the Golden Bears defense throughout his college career but played his best football the last two seasons as a starter. He’s likely to be picked on the final day of the draft but could go late in the third round if a team like the Saints rates him highly.

Taylor (6-foot-0, 228 pounds) is a better athlete than Weaver, thanks to a background in track and field as well as football; it showed up at the combine when he clocked the 40-yard dash in just 4.49 seconds against Weaver’s 4.76 time. But he brings a smaller body of work against top competition, having played just two years at Colorado after transferring from the junior college ranks. He’s projected to be drafted in rounds four through seven on the third day, if at all, and his evaluation largely depends on how well teams think he can bulk up to NFL standards without sacrificing his movement skills.

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