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Taywan Taylor- Wide Receiver, Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
HEIGHT: 5’11”
WEIGHT: 203
ARM LENGTH: 32 5/8”
HANDS: 9 1/4”
PROJECTED ROUND: 3RD-4TH ROUND
40 YD DASH (NFL Combine): 4.5 sec
BENCH PRESS (NFL Combine): 13
VERTICAL (NFL Combine): 33.5”
BROAD JUMP (NFL Combine): 132”
3 CONE DRILL (NFL Combine): 6.57 sec
20 YD SHUTTLE (NFL Combine): 4.21 sec
60 YD SHUTTLE (NFL Combine): 11.23 sec
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS: Taylor’s motor is constantly running, and his explosiveness causes issues in the secondary. He has the speed to break away from anyone, and his quickness allows for sharp cuts. Inferior defenders facing his speed, tend to open their hips to run with him, allowing him to cut back to the ball with plenty of room. He runs his routes with determination, and is able to stop quickly to confuse defenders. When cutting, he is able to stick his foot in the ground to change direction suddenly, which also helps him after the catch. Taylor constantly is working to get open, and can alter his routes to find a window in the defense. He has shown the ability to get any ball, even against taller defenders. Taylor can also catch a pass thrown in heavy traffic as well. Effort is always there regardless of the task assigned to him (running routes, catching, or run blocking).
WEAKNESSES: While he has shown the ability to catch almost anything, Taylor has some drops that can be prevented. He defaults to being a body catcher, which can lead to preventable miscues. He competed well against Alabama, but didn’t make enough of an impact in the game against a great secondary. That even being said, Bama has allowed just 22 receivers to have at least 120 receiving yards since 2000 and only 4 came from G5 Schools. Taylor was the fourth. Western Kentucky’s offense allowed for Taylor to reel in a career high in catches, yards, and touchdowns, but a lot of his receptions were a result of screens, jet sweeps, and drag routes. The biggest knock comes in the form of ball security. Taylor tends to palm the ball with one hand, and doesn’t bring it in close when engaging with defenders. NFL talent will easily find a way to knock that out (as the Bama secondary showed too), so he will need to address that.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Taylor has shown the ability to get open against anyone. His speed and determination are his two biggest assets when running routes. Ball security will need to be addressed heading into the pros. Taylor has all of the necessary tools to become a great receiver, and should be a great value when he is selected.