2017 Raiders Draft Prospect: Slot WR Taywan Taylor
2017 Raiders Draft Prospect
Name: Taywan Taylor
Position/School: Slot WR, Western Kentucky
Height: 6ft.
Weight: 195 pounds
Production: In 50 games, Taylor amassed 253 catches for 4234 yards (16.7 ypc) and 41 TD.
Route Running: As soon as Taylor’s tape gets viewed, several things immediately stand out. First, opposing corners often whiff with the jam. Taylor anticipates hand placement and defeats contact with timing. In other words, slot CB can’t seem to apply hands in time to disrupt the route. With that said, when Taylor is open, his route tree varies from screens to deep posts.
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Hands: This is the area where Taylor improved on most during his time at WKU. Working in a spread means that he saw a large number of targets. On the other hand, there needs to be more snatching of the ball sooner. Whether it was poor placement by the QB or not, Taylor needs to grab the ball quick in order to turn short gains into long ones.
Agility: In the slot, Taylor lives off of his ability to confound defenses. As mentioned, his ability to run just about every route is known. Yet, the question is why. Taylor sells the inside-out double move almost flawlessly. As a result, defenders bite on the initial jab, leaving them vulnerable to the vertical pass. For example, in the video, look at Taylor’s feet alone. Notice how the defender scrambles to stay with him.
Aggression: During his last two seasons at WKU, Taylor caught 184 passes. Although opponents knew the targets headed towards him, he still caught them. Despite facing help over the top occasionally, Taylor found a way to get open and produce. Aggression isn’t always about anger. It is also defined by purpose. Opponents knew where the ball headed and still failed to stop Taylor.
Raiders Fit: While Seth Roberts has his fans, there are many more critics. Downfield blocking and the game-winning TD versus Tampa Bay should not carry him into 2017. At the same time, Taylor presents a viable slot upgrade. He’s comfortable inside and will take the top off a defense if need be. Also, Taylor could make his living underneath. Look for Taylor’s name to surface after Round 3.
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