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Raiders go defensive back with their final two picks of the Draft
With two picks in the seventh round at 223 and 229 overall, the Raiders added competition to their secondary with the selections of Air Force safety Trey Taylor and Pittsburgh cornerback MJ Devonshire.
Taylor won the Jim Thorpe Award this past season as the best safety in college football. He joins Tre’von Moehrig as Raiders players who won the coveted award.
Devonshire was a second-team All ACC performer last season in his second season as a starter for the Panthers.
Taylor won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s best defensive back in 2023 but is still projected very late in the draft
The Lions Draft Prospect of the Day was voted the top safety in college football in 2023 but remains a relative unknown prospect.
The focus for these prospects is on players who should hold some appeal to the Lions in the draft, with a focus on the more likely positions the team will be targeting: OL, EDGE, CB, DT, S and WR. Not all will be top-100 players, and that likely includes today’s prospect.
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 213 pounds (measured at Shrine Bowl)
Taylor entered Air Force as a running back recruit from Texas, but he found his path after moving to safety. He started 36 of 38 games in the last three seasons, racking up 205 tackles, 11 TFLs, six INTs, 14 PDs, and 3.5 sacks for the Falcons. He won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back in 2023 and also captured the Pat Tillman Award at the Shrine Bowl. That award goes to the player who best shows character, sportsmanship, and intelligence on the field.
He is a cousin of Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed. Taylor does not have to worry about a military deferment; he is eligible to play right away.
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Best game I watched: Colorado State
Worst game I watched: Boise State
Taylor certainly looks the part and has the requisite athleticism to succeed in the NFL. He knows how to use the size, quickness and length to his advantage, and with some positional and schematic versatility. While he hasn’t faced a lot of NFL-caliber passing talent, Taylor proved in Shrine Bowl week he can handle himself just fine in man coverage at that level. Taylor has a playmaking bent to him as well, though that will occasionally hurt him in run defense and on blitzes.
He’s smart, aggressive and plays with intensity–exactly what the Lions want. The character and leadership are off the charts, too. Special teams experience and an embrace of doing all the little things should also endear him to Detroit, too. Taylor grades out as a borderline top-100 player for me, but nearly all current projections feature Taylor no higher than the 6th round. Definite appeal from a Lions perspective.
Does anybody need a list of 2024 draft prospects the Panthers have spoken with thus far? We got you.
The 2024 scouting combine is now in the books. 40s have been dashed, 20s have been shuttled, benches have been pressed and vertical and broads have been jumped.
Oh, and there were plenty of talks to be had.
Among the annual activities at the combine are the meetings between prospects and potentially interested teams. And as far as the Carolina Panthers are concerned, we may have to pay a bit more attention to who they’re talking to since their first pick doesn’t pop up until the second round.
So, we’ll help you out.
Here are all the known players—whether they were at the combine, Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl or even the College Gridiron Showcase—the Panthers have spoken with to this point:
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Up next in the Unpacking Future Packers draft preview series is Air Force defensive back Trey Taylor.
The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2024 NFL draft.
With Darnell Savage Jr, Jonathan Owens and Rudy Ford all set to hit the open market this offseason, the Green Bay Packers will need to invest heavily in the safety position. Even if the Packers opt to re-sign one of those three, Brian Gutekunst needs to make it a priority to add more talent to that room.
A player that Gutekunst could target on Day 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft is Trey Taylor. The Air Force safety checks in at No. 80 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown.
After redshirting in 2019 and opting out of the 2020 COVID-19 season, Taylor has started 36 games over the past three seasons for the Air Force Academy. During his first season as a starter in 2021, Taylor recorded 62 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception and five pass deflections. The following season Taylor recorded 69 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack and two interceptions.
This past season Taylor took home the Jim Thorpe award after he recorded 74 tackles, five tackles for loss, three interceptions and four pass deflections.
“My time at the Academy taught me how to be a leader of leaders, and to look after my family on and off the field,” Taylor said. “There were difficult times in the journey but leaning on loved ones and the guys I was going to battle with every day in the classroom, on the field, or in military training was eye-opening for me.”
Taylor has loose movements and showcases adequate range. He’s a cerebral player with the route instincts to arrive when the ball does. He has a heightened sense of what’s going on around him and takes proper angles. He’s a great communicator on the back end and is rarely out of position.
Air Force DB Trey Taylor this season:
🔹 356 Coverage Snaps
🔹 One TD Allowed
🔹 3 INTs | 3 PBUs
🔹 47.0 Passer Rating Allowed
🔹 87.2 Coverage Grade pic.twitter.com/jqLExrgj9C— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 8, 2023
“My ability to diagnose quarterback intentions early in the down from film or instincts and make plays on or around the ball,” Taylor said. “I have a nose for the ball.”
Taylor has the range to play centerfield, he also has the short-area quickness, fluidity and toughness to man the slot position. During his three years as a starter, Taylor logged 379 snaps in the slot for the Air Force.
“I have a lot of background playing in the slot,” Taylor said. “I feel like I am very versatile and can cover slot receivers down the field very well. I can come down and make tackles while also having the ability to drop back to deep coverage.”
A relative of Ed Reed, Taylor showcases plus ball skills. He trusts his field vision and takes proper angles to the ball to get into position to make a play.
“Six interceptions with one drop, but I do feel like my ball skills are at the top of this class,” Taylor said. “I can track down the ball with good range when it is in the air in any part of the field and I can also make plays in the air, not always on my feet.”
Taylor is active coming downhill against the run. He does a good job of slithering his way around blocks to find the ball carrier.
“I feel like my biggest strength is coming down and helping in run support,” Taylor said. “I love playing in the box and I feel like I’m extremely effective playing alongside linebackers and communicating with them as well when run fits.”
During his collegiate career, Taylor logged 334 snaps on special teams and recorded four tackles. Taylor is confident that he could be a core special teams player during his rookie season.
“I do know immediately as a rookie I could make a huge impact on special teams,” Taylor said. “I’m confident in any role they put me in but special teams and it’s something that I feel as if I have shined in that phase during my time in college. It’s a skill set that can be directly brought into the NFL.”
Green Bay needs to rebuild its safety room. It’s a position that was arguably the weakest on the roster this past season. It’s a room that needs an infusion of talent.
While he may not be a day-one starter, Taylor could provide an immediate impact on special teams while providing quality depth in the secondary. He’s a disciplined player that improved each season and if he cracks the starting lineup, he’s the type of player that won’t give that job back.
He’s a factor coming downhill against the run. He has the ball skills and playmaking ability that’s desperately needed and he has the versatility to man the slot position.
With the Packers projected to have six Day 3 picks, Taylor could be a target with one of those selections as Gutekunst looks to build the team’s safety room.
“I’ll bring a level of leadership and experience that can be utilized immediately,” Taylor said. “I’m great in the locker room, I come with no trouble, and I make the team a better team with my addition. I’m going to do whatever for my team to win and there’s no pride here, just work ethic and my will to win.”
20 Shrine Bowl prospects to know for the 2024 NFL draft before practices kick off
The 99th annual East-West Shrine Bowl week is coming up quickly. Over 100 draft prospects will go through practices and interviews with scouting personnel from all 32 NFL teams in hopes of improving their stock for the 2024 NFL draft.
This year’s Shrine Bowl moves to The Star in Frisco, Texas. Practices kick off on Saturday and run through Tuesday, with the game scheduled for a 7 p.m. CT kickoff on Thursday, February 1st.
Here are some of the top players to know from the East and West rosters, which will be coached by current NFL assistants across several teams.
Previewing the East-West Shrine Bowl by taking a closer look at four safeties the Packers could target in the 2024 draft.
The East-West Shrine Bowl practices start on Saturday with the game scheduled to take place on Thursday, Feb. 1 in Frisco, Texas.
Zach Tom, Jon Runayn Jr, Samori Toure, Ka’Dar Hollman, James Looney and Hunter Bradley are all draft picks selected by Brian Gutekunst who competed at the Shrine Bowl.
Let’s start the Shrine Bowl preview by taking a look at four safeties that the Green Bay Packers could be keeping close tabs on throughout the week in Frisco.
The Kansas safety flies all over the field for the Jayhawks. He has the range and ball skills to make plays on the ball in the backend and the quickness to fly downhill in run support. He led the Jayhawks in tackles in each of the past three seasons (254) but he also whiffed 56 times during that span as well. On top of everything he brings to the defense he has experience returning kicks and although limited (five) punts.
Kansas senior S Kenny Logan Jr is one of the top safety prospects in CFB
Rangy backend speed (watch the clip!) AND effective/willing downhill in run support and defending alleys
6'0 210lbs w/ 4.4 speed & over 400+ special team snaps (kick returning ++). Tackling machine in 2021 pic.twitter.com/s4GzywLxtG
— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) July 29, 2022
A Colorado transfer, Perry recorded 142 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and six pass deflections during his two seasons at TCU. Perry was a member of the track and field team during his time at Colorado and that athleticism shows on the field, showcasing good range and flying downhill to pop ball carriers. He brings an element of versatility to the secondary with the ability to play in the slot and deep.
Hampton is a player capable of wearing multiple hats in the secondary. He can line up in the slot, box or deep. At 6-3, 220 pounds, Hampton has outstanding length and size for the position. He finished the season with a team-leading 109 tackles to go along with two interceptions and seven pass deflections.
Dominique Hampton is having a hell of a second half.
Check out why the UW DB is a player that Packers fans should get to know.
https://t.co/rvHql4Rz3r pic.twitter.com/2jYhPCaVh3— Brennen Rupp (@Brennen_Rupp) January 9, 2024
The Frisco native and Jim Thorpe Award winner will have a shot to boost his draft stock this week. Taylor started 36 games over the past three seasons and finished this past season with 74 tackles, five tackles for loss and three interceptions. It will be worth monitoring how the cousin of Ed Reed performs throughout the week.
