How former Carl Albert star Dadrion Taylor-Demerson is improving his NFL Draft stock
FRISCO, Texas — Dadrion Taylor-Demerson had the ability to be choosy on Thursday.
The Texas Tech defensive back and former Carl Albert High School star turned in a strong performance at the NFL Scouting Combine a few weeks ago, so when he showed up to Big 12 Pro Day on Thursday, his goal was to fill in the gaps.
“My plan coming here was to do everything I didn’t do at the Combine,” Taylor-Demerson told The Oklahoman after his workout at Ford Center at The Star.
That meant the bench press and shuttle runs. He benched 225 pounds 18 times on Thursday, which would have been fourth-best among safeties at the Combine. He was happy with his agility in the shuttle runs, though the Big 12 has not released official results.
Taylor-Demerson had the fastest 40-yard dash time among safeties at the Combine, clocking in at 4.41 seconds, so he didn’t worry about trying to improve that. And his on-field work was strong as well — including one difficult catch that caught the attention of the NFL Network broadcast team during the event — so he could afford to sit that out as well.
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While he’s not as big as some of the other safeties, measuring 5-foot-10 and 197 pounds, Taylor-Demerson offers versatility that will give him the chance to fit a variety of roles at the next level. He has the coverage skills to hang with slot receivers, and the speed to cover ground in zone schemes.
He had a strong final season with the Red Raiders, totaling 73 tackles, four interceptions and eight pass breakups. He had a 12-tackle game against Oregon and two picks against TCU.
While he could have departed for the NFL a year ago, Taylor-Demerson elected to use the additional year of eligibility granted by the NCAA in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and he made it count.
“It helped a whole bunch,” he said. “I feel like I had more to learn about the game and about myself as a player, so that last year really helped me a lot.”
The improvement he showed took him from a fringe NFL prospect to a likely draft pick April 25-27.
It’s been quite a turn of events for the former Titan whose college future initially appeared to be on the offensive side after starring as a running back in high school.
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But former Texas Tech coach Matt Wells gave Taylor-Demerson the opportunity to play Big 12 football on defense.
“I would’ve been softer if I had played offense,” Taylor-Demerson said. “So I’m glad Coach Wells and his staff moved me to the dark side so I could toughen up a little bit.”
Just a few days after his daughter’s second birthday, Taylor-Demerson’s focus on the future is as strong as ever.
“Just the way I think about the game, the way I think about my future,” he said. “I have a family to provide for, so I’m setting up a life for her so even if she doesn’t play sports, she has a way to go to college that’s paid for way before she even gets there.
“I want her to have the best life ever. She’s gonna be so spoiled. I’m sorry to say it, but it’s just how it is. Daddy’s little girl.”
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Texas Tech football: Dadrion Taylor-Demerson improving NFL Draft stock
