Davion

Taylor

Taylor (6’0/228) was a two-year starting linebacker at Colorado who showcased 82nd percentile Adjusted SPARQ athleticism at the NFL Combine. A high school hooper and track star, Taylor’s football experience is limited, but he has the physical traits of a developmental coverage linebacker. The Buffaloes used him in the slot (294 snaps) the most where he took on tight ends, slot receivers, and running backs with inconsistent success. His below-average vision makes him a project, but Taylor can be an asset on special teams and has the upside of being a quality coverage backer in sub-packages if given enough reps to learn the position.

Taylor (6'0/228) is a rare prospect, due to the fact that he did not play any football until the age of 18 due to his family’s religious beliefs. The upside is there due to his athleticism, as evidenced by the testing numbers he put up at the NFL Scouting Combine. Whether or not he can be effective at the NFL level will depend upon his technical development, and Zierlein wrote that Taylor is considered to be coachable by NFL scouts. “While his inexperience shows up plenty on tape, he has flashes that show off what he could be capable of in the future,” Zierlein wrote in his analysis of Taylor, who he compares to Jarrod Cooper.

Taylor (6'0/228) was one of three linebackers to crack 4.50 seconds during Saturday’s 40-yard dash festivities. He additionally posted jumps of 35 inches and 127 inches at the combine. Taylor oozes athleticism, but what will make/break his development in the pros is how well he develops in terms of basic technical proficiency. Taylor came into college with essentially no football experience.

Taylor (6'2/225) ran track for the Buffs during the spring and recorded a time of 10.51 seconds in the 100-meter dash. Nagy deemed it to be a “ridiculous height-weight speed for a linebacker.” In terms of his statistical output this season, the rangy senior has logged 60 tackles (7.0 for loss) with four passes defended across 10 games played this season. Assuming he receives a combine invitation, he could be in line for strong testing marks come the spring.

Martinez is an impressive scrambler, that much Taylor will admit. Taylor (6'2/225) isn’t concerned that Martinez will beat the Buffs through the air, though. He believes passing is “one of Martinez’s weaknesses,” so their game plan will be to force him to throw. Martinez went 13-of-222 for 178 yards and an interception versus South Alabama last week, so it’s not as though he has a fantastic opening week to counter Taylor with.

Taylor was a big get for the Colorado defense; ranking as the top JUCO linebacker in the 2018 class. One of the reasons why he could be a big part of the Buffaloes’ front seven is that he isn’t just fast for a linebacker, he’s fast for a football player, period, and he participated on the track team after enrolling this winter. “The 6-3, 220-pounder was CU’s fastest sprinter, and he finished sixth in the 100 at the Pac-12 Championships,” writes Feldman. “His top 100 time this year was 10.51 in the prelims of the Pac-12s.” We can’t wait to see that speed on the football field this fall.

Taylor (6'1/215) commits to the Buffaloes over Ole Miss and Arkansas. He’s rated the the top junior college outside linebacker in the country by Scout.com, and ESPN’s scouting report cites that he has “off the chart playmaking ability.” It also notes that he needs to get stronger, but because of his experience and athleticism, he has a chance to play early for Colorado.