Tony Taylor LB 6'1 236 Georgia 4.88

Taylor had a very good year as a freshman reserve, finishing the year with 38 tackles, one for loss. As a sophomore, he came through with 82 tackles, four for loss, a sack, and two interceptions. A knee injury caused him to miss all of 2004. He came back in 2005 but was not the same player. He had 48 tackles, 5.5 for loss, a sack and a pick in eight games. Taylor proved he was all the way back this year, and had a phenomenal senior season. He finished with 96 tackles, 7.5 for loss, three sacks, and seven interceptions.

Taylor’s best attribute is his coverage ability. He is a solid athlete that can cover a lot of ground. He has excellent ball skills and can really locate the ball and make a play on it. He had seven picks as a senior, which is an extraordinary amount for a linebacker. Taylor also shows the ability to make plays sideline to sideline and is not afraid to mix it up with offensive lineman to make a play.

Taylor has only average size. He can be taken out of running plays when a blocker locks on to him. He also lacks ideal speed, which could cause problems at the next level. He may not be able to run down as many plays or keep up as long in coverage with faster players in the NFL.

Taylor may not be the ideal physical specimen, but he his cover ability and instincts are very good. He probably will not be a major playmaker in the NFL, but he brings a great skill to the table and could be a valuable rotation linebacker.