Name: Taywan Taylor
School: Western Kentucky
Position fit: Wide receiver
Stats to know: Led the nation with 948 receiving yards on deep passes in 2016.
What he does best:
- Excellent downfield threat as he has exceptional playing speed and can take the top off a defense.
- Knows how to read defenses and coverages and adjusts his routes to take advantage of what the defense does and to find the coverage’s soft spots.
- Can work the middle of the field in traffic as he is not afraid of contact and can absorb hits right after catching the football.
- More physical than what his size would suggest and therefore presents a rare speed-physicality combination.
- Uses his quickness well both during route-running in coming out of his breaks and also when the ball is in his hands after the catch.
- Has an excellent first step against press coverage and gets immediately next to the defender where he can win with speed.
- Plays his best when it matters the most as he put together his best performance in the Conference USA Conference Championship Game.
- Solid showing in 1-on-1 drills during Senior Bowl practice.
Biggest concern:
- Has inconsistent hands and body catches passes, which leads to drops and occasional double catches.
- Does not seem to be physical enough at the catch point to win contested catches on a consistent basis.
- Often has difficulty adjusting to off-target throws.
Bottom line: Taylor brings shifty route-running and good acceleration to the NFL, so he should be able to separate and provide a valuable weapon in the passing game. He’s not great at the catch point, and he can have trouble adjusting to off-target throws, but Taylor is coming off a productive career at Western Kentucky and he his deliberate route-running style is a good fit for any offense.
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