Mar 13, 2011
Position: DT Bench Reps: 31
Height/Weight: 6’3″ 334 NFL Comparison: B.J. Raji
40 Time (10 Yard): 5.20 (1.77) Projected Round: 1
Stats: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=188696
My Take: Phil Taylor is the best pure Nose Tackle in the 2011 Draft. At 6’3″ 337 Taylor fits the prototypical NT mold. Taylor, one of the biggest winners of Senior Bowl week, showcased his skills as a dominant force in the trenches all week long in Mobile, and down the stretch of his senior season. Taylor has an explosive initial burst that makes him overwhelming for centers and guards to handle. Look for Taylor to really rise up draft boards as we get close to the draft, as many teams could use a true NT.
Phil Taylor has a rare combination of massive size and mobility, which has sparked comparisons to 2009 1st round pick BJ Raji. When you watch the tape, it’s clear Taylor isn’t quite as good as Raji was, but he is still a great fit at the nose in the 3-4. He is very good against the run, and his brute strength coupled with his mobility make him difficult to control even with a double team. Taylor’s mobility is especially useful in spinning out of said double teams, which he does a good job at. Taylor is a great tackler; and is able to reach out with one hand (while being blocked) and squash the ball-carrier dead in his path. In the NFL Taylor will consistently draw double teams; opening up lanes for linebackers to come up and stuff the run, as well as shoot the gap on blitzes. He does get walled off or pushed off the ball too often for someone that big and mobile, though.
Taylor does show an occasional flash brilliance as a pass rusher. He has a dominant spin move, and if he gets by his man he has the mobility to be in the QB’s face rather quickly. With that being said, Taylor only had 5 sacks in 3 years of play at Baylor. Taylor’s biggest negative is his poor stamina. It was noted at the Senior Bowl that he got progressively worse as each practice went on. This has drawn me to conclude that Taylor likely needs to play in a rotation to be effective at the next level. This is somewhat concerning for a first round pick, but stamina is something he can definitely improve with some effort.
Physically Taylor checks out pretty soundly, but his intangibles are questionable. Taylor’s play has been inconsistent through out his collegiate career. Prior to his senior year, scouts considered him to to be a bust. Once a starter on Penn State’s defensive front, he was forced to transfer after he was charged with assault over an altercation in Penn State’s Student Union. This incident will definitely come up in pre-draft interviews, and really calls into question Taylor’s maturity and character. To his credit however, the incident occurred in 2007 and his record has been clear ever since, so it’s likely that he’s grown up quite a bit. In his first two years at Baylor he was quite unimpressive as well, and really didn’t start to draw praise from scouts until his games against Texas Tech and Colorado in this past October. Although there are some issues here, we think Taylor has grown up and is motivated to prove himself in the NFL.
-Ryan
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