vs Kentucky 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYY0iuKn-Lw

 

Devin Taylor was a beast in the East West Shrine game. Best defensive player in the game IMO. He had to move up a couple of rounds after that showing. I was thinking he'd be a good choice to use our 4th round comp pick on that we will get for Langford.

 

Weak on Monday but really came alive in practices as the week went on. Was a different player than what he showed at South Carolina, IMO.

Devin Taylor is most definitely a guy the Dolphins would look at for the spot opposite Cameron Wake, IMO.

 

There was a 6 game stretch during the beginning of his sophomore year where he had 6.5 sacks, 6 hurries, 10 TFL, and 3 PDs....... and I thought he was a stud in the making, but then he never matched that type of play again from what I saw.

 

During the game, the lady sideline reporter interviewed him and asked about why he was standing out more in this game than he did at SC. He said something as I recall, about playing his assigned role within the confines of the scheme may have limited him from really standing out as much at SC

 

When I watched SC games in 2011 to look at Ingram, I felt that not only Clowney, but also Taylor stood out more to me.

 

That's the typical excuse, and it may even be accurate, but I'm not sure I buy it. Cornelius Washington didn't stand out at Georgia because they were asking him to play in a way that was very different from the all star setting, but I'm not sure Devin Taylor is the same case there. Even so, the disparity between how Cornelius played at Georgia and how he played at the Senior Bowl only highlights his shortcomings which is why I keep comparing him to Mark Anderson and insisting he'll be a situational guy. He could become a Cliff Avril but I'm not sure I'd bet on it.

 

What round do you think he's a good value in and where do you think he'll actually go?

 

I'd say he is a 3rd-4th round guy.

 

I wasn't sure what he was even talking about. When I watched SC I definitely noticed him in a positive way. Before the East West, I was thinking maybe we can get him for a 6th, now though, I'd plan to buy in the 4th if I seriously wanted him.

 

I watched just about every SC game this year being in the Columbia area, he's definitely a guy that we should be looking at. He's going to start climbing more after teams measure him, run him, etc, he has freakish size. I do think he played a bit of the Robin role to Batman (Clowney) so he might have a bit of a point about the scheme. I don't think he's a allpro stud that we need to take in the 1st but he's going to be a good, solid pro with some spectacular plays here and there and honestly I think he'd be perfect next to Wake. I think someone is going to fall in love with him though, he might get over drafted, he's a hard guy to project. His play in his college career doesn't warrant a 1st or 2nd round grade but I could definitely see a team falling for his size and upside, getting worried about missing him later and taking him early. I don't think he gets past the 3rd round.

 

I remember heading into 2012 there was a lot of buzz about him in the 1st round, based I think mostly on the tangibles. I didn't see that in him. I just didn't understand it based on the way he played.

But he played better in 2012 than previously, and he played best of all in the Shrine Game. The thing that stands out about him is his athleticism and motor.

But I'll be writing about him in Draft Winds so I guess I don't want to go on too much more.

 

Okay, I finally had time to watch him (watched Georgia, Kentucky, Auburn cutups).

He moves well, but he's an end who plays the run well, first and foremeost, and has some suprisingly decent ability in pass drops (not great, but decent). He has an average (at best) first step and is not a real big pass rush threat, though DEFINITELY looks the part more than Odrick does rushing around the edge. He uses his hands decentl, dips etc... He's just too slow of foot, accelration wise, to get to the QB too often. Not a 'sudden' player. I like that he seems to have good football insitancts and can see where a play is developing and is a step ahead of it, not behind it.

If we needed a DE to play the run for us, and occasionally drop into space, but not significantly upgrade our rush, I'd look at him in the 3rd, maybe even a low 2nd. But a run defending end is not high on my list of priorities this offseason.

Decent player though. He'll be in the rotation somewhere, for someone.

 

The thing that has to be explored are the differences between how he played at South Carolina versus how he played at the Shrine Game. He said he played within the scheme. The scheme couldn't have been all bad and he couldn't have been that bad within it all in all because he had 35.5 TFLs in his career.

But I saw a different player in the Shrine Game...a different player playing a different way.

Don't laugh...just take a look at these videos. I expected to laugh myself off the screen when I decided to entertain the thought that was running through my head when I re-watched Taylor's Shrine Game performance. Shortly into the comparison, I wasn't laughing anymore.

[video=youtube;tP0rhntrT7I]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP0rhntrT7I[/video]
[video=youtube;TSr5VelnWgU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSr5VelnWgU[/video]

I've really tried to take a good dive into his time at South Carolina, what I didn't like, what I did like...and what he did differently at the Shrine Game.

I could go 1,000 words into this but I think just some key concepts help explain things:

1. The guy ALWAYS made NFL caliber plays at the college level, from 2010 to 2011 to 2012.
2. I think he likes playing from the right side more than the left.
3. Combination of thinking more quickly and having less to think about made him better in 2012 than 2010 & 2011.
4. Had the least to think about in the Shrine Game, duties were simplified, just went out there and played.
5. His ability to get off the snap (not necessarily 1st step) has been a work in-progress, better each year, best at Shrine.
6. By 2012 he was getting off the snap and up the field at very close to Jadaveon Clowney level.
7. Biggest, hardest to correct problem off the snap is getting too upright off the blocks.
8. When he has that problem in better control, he's ferocious.
9. Simplifying his responsibilities seems to help him control it.
10. His motor, range, length and ability to make plays every which way are pretty incredible.

If I were the Miami Dolphins, this is the guy I would target to try and play opposite Cameron Wake. When you watch the totality of the 2012 tape you appreciate what a great complement Jadaveon Clowney and Devin Taylor made for one another. Cameron Wake = Jadaveon Clowney. Except in Miami, Devin would get the opportunity to play the right side which he seems to like better than the left side. This could really work. Good marriage between the two players.