Stepfan Taylor, RB, Stanford Cardinal: 2013 NFL Draft Player Profile
November 30, 2012; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal running back Stepfan Taylor (33) runs the ball during the first quarter of the Pac-12 Championship game against the UCLA Bruins at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 214 pounds
Drafted By: Arizona Cardinals (5th round, 140th overall)
40 Yard Dash: 4.76
Bench Press: 17
Vertical Jump: 30″
Broad Jump: 110″
Career Stats
| SEASON | ATT | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD | REC | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD |
| 2012 | 302 | 1442 | 4.8 | 59 | 12 | 38 | 270 | 7.1 | 40 | 2 |
| 2011 | 242 | 1330 | 5.5 | 70 | 10 | 25 | 182 | 7.3 | 27 | 2 |
| 2010 | 223 | 1137 | 5.1 | 62 | 15 | 28 | 266 | 9.5 | 59 | 1 |
| 2009 | 56 | 303 | 5.4 | 33 | 2 | 3 | 43 | 14.3 | 23 | 0 |
Scouting Report/Player Notes
Big, quick running back who has been an underrated reason for the success of Stanford’s return to glory over the last couple of years. Taylor has been arguably the most consistent and durable tailbacks in the country since he was a sophomore in 2010, where he rushed for 1,137 yards and 15 touchdowns. Followed that up as a junior with 1,330 yards and 10 more scores, continuing to develop as a pass catcher as well. in 2012, he is the focal point of the Stanford offense and as a senior, he is doing a great job of cementing his draft stock as one of the top running backs in the country. He has a good combination of speed, quickness, and power, but his greatest asset could be his vision and ability to pick up yards after contact. I don’t see any reason why Taylor can’t be as good in the NFL as Doug Martin, one of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ top picks. He’s not as compactly built, but they have a very complete overall game. Does a very solid job in blitz pickup as well, and can really contribute on all three downs. If he’s not a top 64 pick, it will be a bit of a surprise.
Career Highlights (via Stanford athletics site)
AT STANFORD: One of the top running backs in the Pac-12 Conference…strong preseason candidate for the Doak Walker Award…figures prominently on many Stanford career lists entering his final season…ranks fourth on the school’s all-time career list with 2,770 yards and needs 1,263 more to tie Darrin Nelson for first place…his 27 career rushing touchdowns are tied for third all-time with Brad Muster (1984-87)…needs 10 more to tie Tommy Vardell (1988-91) for second all-time…has 13 100-yard games, good for third all-time behind Gerhart (20) and Nelson (16)…is one of six Stanford backs to record a 1,000-yard season and just the third back to register back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, joining Nelson (1977-78) and Gerhart (2008-09).
Video Highlights (via YouTube)