After the head scratching decision to take Jalen Hurts with the 53rd overall pick, the Eagles followed it up with another contentious selection. Colorado’s Davion Taylor is the newest Philadelphia Eagle. The linebacker is a raw prospect with limited experience on field, but showed promise in his two years in college.
Taylor’s story is different than most. He grew up in a religious family. In high school, religious practices kept him off the field for Friday and Saturday games. It wasn’t until he walked on at junior college that Taylor began playing regularly. Leveraging his athletic potential, that shone among JuCo players, he was able to get an offer from Colorado.
Fortunately, he was one of the players I outlined in my final defensive draft analysis.
His strengths and shortcomings follow suit. As a technical player as well as a processor, Taylor is raw. He hasn’t yet learned to diagnose the offense in a way to capitalize on his physical gifts. But boy, does he have some impressive physical traits.
Taylor is a fluid mover with burst-y changes of direction and quick twitch agility that has become a necessity for the modern weak side linebacker. He ran a 4.49 at the NFL Combine, which was among the top at his position. He’s bigger than a safety at 226 lbs, but moves like one. It’s no secret that the Eagles love their tweeners and versatile defensive pieces.
With more experienced options still left on the board, Howie Roseman decided to roll the dice and bet on upside. Hosting a linebacker room already lacking veteran mentor-ship, adding a developmental option with a long way to go is a bold decision. Speed and athleticism was a placed at a premium early on in the draft and that continued into the third round.
Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
