Scout Report – Jawaan Taylor

• Position: Offensive Tackle
• College: Florida Gators
• Pre-Draft Position Rank: 2 of 34

Age: N/A, Height: 6’5, Weight: 334 lbs, experience: 3 years (college)

• Average Defense rank: 48.6
• Average Pass Rush Rank: 59.5
• Run Block Record: 18-5-6, 9 DT
  • 62% Quality Block rate, 83% Contention Rate
• Pass Block Record: 44-6-11, 9 DT
  • 72% Quality Block Rate, 90% Contention Rate

Strengths:

• Keeps eyes open to his surroundings, finding where the pressure is coming from, or which teammates are struggling on the block
• Can climb to the next level effectively on the inside
• Strong base and stance when blocking makes it difficult for defenders to overpower him
• Keeps feet chopping during contact
• Aggressive first step off the snap, creates immediate block on the inside
• Strong, consistent blocker, intimidating on the run
• Has a good radar, seems to sense where the pressure is coming on his side
• Quick feet can get him to his initial point of contact immediately

Weaknesses:

• Slow feet, can be outmaneuvered off the snap by speedy pass rushers
• Slow shuffle back on the pass block is exposed against quick DEs
• Not very agile, lacks effective directional mobility
• Slow when pulling, and has trouble locating target
• does not keep feet under him when moving
• can be overly aggressive on the pass block, moving out of his spot to block a single person
• Tends to grab jersey when against particularly elusive pass rushers, making for an easy holding penalty
• Gets sloppy on long drives

Bold Predictions:

• Draft placement: Mid 1st-2nd round
• Plays like: N/A
• Ceiling: NFL Starter
• Floor: 4 and out

Overview:

Taylor is an intimidating force on the offensive line when dealing with both the pass and run game. He has the strong first step needed to immediately contact D-linemen on runs, and good vision to find where the pressure will come from on the pass to cover it. What Taylor ultimately lacks is his mobility, which mainly creates problems on passing. Taylor is slow outside of his immediate step forward, making him especially weak against fast blitzers off the edge. He has trouble shuffling back against these fast rushers, and leaves his stance in order to chase them down. His ability to climb, as well as block at the next level is dependent on where he is asked to block. Taylor excels at climbing on the interior, and can be a nightmare for any middle linebacker who needs to face him, but when asked to climb to the outside linebacker or corner, he begins to experience trouble. Taylor is not fast (as you would expect from being a lineman), but even more so is he is not quick with his feet, and often when asked to climb or extend to block someone not immediately in his vicinity, he starts to run with his head rather than his feet. When these outside defenders manage to evade him, Taylor needs crucial seconds in order to change direction (think of a plane turning in the sky). This does not discredit Taylor’s feisty nature, and the fact he keeps his feet chopping on almost every block speaks volumes of his drive and effectiveness in face-up situations. If Taylor wishes to excel at the next level, he must work on his footwork and swiftness, as he cannot allow himself to get beat on the edge by a speedy edge rusher (which a lot of them in the NFL are). It is also not outside of the realm of possibility that Taylor will be moved to offensive guard as his ability to block in face-up situations is a huge asset that should not be wasted; though, if this were to happen, Taylor would need to work on his strength.