Taywan Taylor 2017 NFL Draft quick hits and analysis

Western Kentucky wide receiver Taywan Taylor is certainly going to be an asset at the next level. Here are some quick hits on the 2017 NFL Draft prospect…

The 2017 NFL Draft class is loaded with talent at the wide receiver position, especially when it comes to guys that can work out of the slot. Western Kentucky’s Taywan Taylor proved to be one of the country’s top playmakers this past season, catching 98 passes for 1,730 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Though Western Kentucky’s offense utilized a lot of quick screen plays to get Taylor the ball as much as possible, this is a player that very clearly displayed an NFL skillset and translatable skills right away. Because of his production at WKU, Taylor earned a Senior Bowl invite this past year.

I’m not going to go into a full scouting report on Taylor, which we will do at another time, but I want to take a look at some quick hits from his performance against Alabama, one of the toughest assignments he faced in his college career.

Taylor proved to be more than up for the task, catching nine balls for 121 yards against the Tide.

Taylor has nice suddenness in his route running, and is elusive against press coverage. He obviously has some ability after the catch, which has more to do with his quickness than deep speed.

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Going up against a very good Alabama secondary and fast defense in general, Taylor does a great job of working himself open. Whether it’s on a deeper route or in the short passing game, Taylor does a very good job of making plays no matter how he’s utilized, which leads me to believe offensive coordinators are going to be very excited to move him around the formation at the next level.

He’s 5-11, 198 pounds and he doesn’t have the longest arms, but he’s such a natural athlete and teams are going to be going crazy trying to get this guy to be their number three option in the passing game. He’s a mismatch for slot corners and does a great job of making plays around the sideline with great body control.

Against Alabama, Taylor showed that he’s ready for the next level of competition. He showed in this game and throughout his college career that he’s going to make a smooth transition to the NFL because he can run great routes and create separation both from the slot and the outside.

This is an exciting player to evaluate and one of the most fun to watch play the game.

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