PHIL TAYLOR - Nose Tackle from Baylor
6'3", 334 pounds, 5.21 - 40 yard dash. 34" arms, 10 3/4th inch hands
31 - reps of 225 on bench.
From Nolan Nawrocki of Pro Football Weekly:
Background and College Stats:
Two-way lineman in high school in Maryland. Started college career at Penn State where he saw limited action in seven games (only played 53 snaps) without any stats. Sprained the MCL in his left knee during fall '07 camp but started 5 out of 12 games played, notching 20 tackles, 6 1/2 for loss and 3 sacks.
Was involved in an on-campus fight at a fraternity in October - served a suspension against Wisconsin and was charged with aggravated assault (ultimately dismissed), simple assault, disorderly conduct and harassment. Was suspended from the team in February '08, opted to transfer and sat out the season per NCAA rules. With the Baylor Bears in '09, totaled 25 tackles, 2 1/2 for loss, 1/2 sack with one interception and two blocked field-goal attempts in 12 games (9 starts at nose guard).
Suffered a turf toe injury against Oklahoma and did not start against Iowa State or Oklahoma State. Had his knee scoped in June 2010 to clean out loose cartilage but recovered to start all 13 games at nose guard and recorded 62 tackles, 7 for loss, 2 sacks, with 2 batted passes and a forced fumble.
Positives:
Giant body - has imposing stature with sheer mass and girth to anchor inside. Long arms and large hands. Functionally strong to occupy blockers and hold his ground vs. the double team. Presses blockers and caves the pocket with his bull rush. An athletic big man, heavy tackler.
Negatives:
Weight has tended to fluctuate too much. Marginal stamina - too often wears down, stays blocked and does not exert himself. Lacks twitch. Struggles to control his man and locate the football. Plays too tall and negates his natural strength. Inconsistent get-off. Limited pass-rush ability. Has underachiever traits. Not a worker and does not like to practice. Questionable mental toughness.
Summary:
An enormous, knock-kneed wide body with a unique combination of strength and athletic ability who has drawn comparisons to Pat Williams. Could be effective as a nose tackle in a "30" or "40" front. The demand for athletic big men could drive up his draft value, but he will need extra incentives in his contract for motivation to fall in line and keep his weight in check.
NFL Projection:
Second to Third Round Pick.
From Bleacher Report - With Game Video of Taylor vs. Oklahoma:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/683175-phil-taylor-to-cleveland-browns-2011-nfl-draft-scouting-report
From NFLDraftScout.com - With Combine Results and Multiple Scouting Reports:
Analysis from CBS Sports:
Pass rush: Though his job is usually not to provide primary pass rush, he can push the pocket with strength and flashes quickness off the snap and a swim move to get past lesser centers. Gives good effort to reach the quarterback if he sits in the pocket too long. Tries violent hands to shed blocks. Not very effective on inside twists, though he can take out the left tackle when twisting outside to free up the defensive end. Once stood up by initial contact, it's tough for him to re-start his rush. Run defense: Shows excellent strength and mobility as a run defender. Plays with leverage against double-teams and keeps his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage. Pushes back his man and spins off single and tandem blocks with balance to make the play. Moves down the line well, stays low despite his height to wrap up shorter backs. Willing and able to reach the sideline, takes deep angles to prevent huge runs. Defeats cut blocks and maintains balance to track down ball carriers. Gets low in short-yardage and goal-line situations. Does not dominate smaller centers. At his best when used in a rotation.
Explosion: Explodes from four-point stance into blockers, consistently getting push up front. Gets off low and quick near goal line to set the line backwards. Despite his size, flashes the quickness to penetrate the "A" gap. Requires double-teams to keep him out of the backfield.
Strength: Huge frame and upper-body development give him the strength to be a 3-4 nose tackle at the next level. Moves offensive linemen to either side with relative ease when covering two gaps. Forces fumbles with one hand punching at the ball while ball carrier comes through the hole. Uses leverage to hold the line against double teams.
Tackling: Running backs get swallowed up when crossing his path, and he can separate the ball from a ball carrier with pure strength. Stays low despite his height and will capture backs from behind if they have not yet hit their stride. Chase and hustle are impressive for his size, will chase backs down the line, help linebackers make stops at the second level, and takes deep angles to chase down running backs 20 yards down the sideline.
Intangibles: Sprained his knee in 2007 preseason at Penn State, losing starting job to future first-round pick Jared Odrick. Charged with felony aggravated assault during a fraternity function at a Penn State student union in October 2007; the charge was eventually dropped. Really turned up his game the second half of 2010; scouts could see that as maturity or wonder if he can maintain that level of play.
Compares to: Kris Jenkins, Jets -- Big and powerful, Taylor projects nicely as an interior player in both the 4-3 and 3-4 alignments. If teams are convinced that the off-field concerns that prompted his transfer out of Penn State are a thing of the past, he could wind up a first-round pick.
--Chad Reuter
Video of Phil Taylor against Oklahoma State:
Video of Phil Taylor against Illinois:
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