GRADE: 6.8 (4th Round: Potential Role Player), Sign up for the Saints Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Makes his presence known in the run game with good pursuit angles and hard-striking blows. After official visits to Georgia, Wake Forest and Tennessee, Taylor jumped back on board with the Vols as Jeremy Pruitt and the new staff got him back in the fold. https://chargerswire.usatoday.com/2022/02/27/chargers-nfl-draft-scouting-report-tennessee-alontae-taylor/. He's confident and feisty but allows separation from off-man coverage due to his high-cut frame and leggy transitions. Physical, jams receivers at the line of scrimmage, and battles them throughout the route. When tackling he aims too high or lunges late and struggles to get players down. He has a natural feel for man coverage, although he can be sloppy with his feet in press. As prospect meetings ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft come to an end, what are the latest news and rumors from around the NFL? This week ahead of the 2023 NFL scouting combine, he You'll now receive the top Saints Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. The biggest issue for Taylors projection ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft is his inconsistency as a tackler. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. Committing to the Vols in December 2017, Taylor headed to Tennessee intending to play wide receiver. As the 2022 NFL Draft approaches, the scouting reports from Tennessee include a talented group of athletes from both sides of the ball. His raw ability and Tennessees dearth of options at cornerback saw Taylor thrust into plenty of early playing time, and he started eight times as a freshman. Ultimately, he excelled in man coverage, while also showing the ability to play in zone. Keeps his feet moving, gets his hands into defenders, and controls them at the point. Bites on receivers moves, which results in him being a half-step behind opponents in transition. DOB 1998-12-03 ( 24.2) Height 6' 0". Savvy cover skills to recognize and anticipate routes. Taylor started six games (the first two and the final four) as a sophomore in 2019, totaling 33 tackles and three pass breakups while notching the first interception (against Florida) and sack (against Missouri) of his career. Handled by a single blocker. As the 2022 NFL Draft approaches, the scouting reports from Tennessee include a talented group of athletes from both sides of the ball. Bigger hitter than his slight frame implies. I was able to run faster, said Taylor, a former Coffee County standout. His overaggressiveness resulted in a large number of missed tackles. Pro Football Network strives to passionately deliver purposeful, captivating, and exceptional football content. Speed . Strengths: Big and strong frame that can blockade the receiver in close proximity. Mocks. He reads screens well and attacks aggressively. Analysis: Jones is a physically talented wideout who showed continual improvement in his game and had a breakout senior season. His ball production overall is not very high but he wasnt targeted a lot in some games. Technique and long legs slows transition in Off Man In addition to Mays and Taylor, former USC RB/WR Velus Jones Jr. turned heads at the Senior Bowl. Negatives:Not a stout tackler. The New Orleans Saints selected Tennessee cornerback Alontae Taylor with the 49th overall pick in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft on Friday, April 29. 2022 PANINI DONRUSS The 2022 NFL draft will take place April 28-30 in Paradise, Nevada. In Indianapolis, he timed 4.36 Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. WebAlontae Taylor Rookie Auto 1/1 absolute panini saints rookie card RC New Orleans. He offers possibilities in dime packages at the next level and will add value on special-teams. Against Missouri, the physical cornerback led all Tennessee players with 7 tackles. A well-built, broad player whose thirst for playmaking and resounding hits dominates his tape, Alontae Taylor exhibits the mentality and measurable foundation to challenge NFL receivers as an outside cornerback. At present, the Tennessee CB is the 135th-ranked player on the Pro Football Network Top 300 Big Board, making him a fourth-round prospect. Responsive to passer's eyes and movements from zone. Analysis: Taylor is a tough, athletic corner who excels facing the action. He appears to struggle to flip his hips in coverage. Right now, hes getting grades that range from late Round 3 to the early fourth. Weight 195. He shows this on the field too where he rarely loses a foot race, Has the fluid hips required for a starting pro corner - allows him to transition well from his back pedal, Has a high football IQ with an excellent understanding of receivers' routes - skills he picked up while playing that position in high school, Is an outstanding run defender who is a big hitter and not afraid to put his body at risk. During the most statistically successful of his career, the Tennessee CB tallied 60 tackles, 6 pass breakups, and 2 interceptions (Tennessee Tech and Kentucky). Predominantly playing outside to both the field and boundary side for Tennessee, Taylor has the size to transition to this role at the NFL level. Vs Georgia, here he is in Press but does not use a jam giving up ground forcing him to grab the receiver. As you can see from the measurements above, Taylor has the requisite height. That said, some of those are entirely coachable, leading to the assertion that he could compete for a starting role. Heres our expanded scouting report and draft profile: Velus Jones Jr., Tennessee WR | NFL Draft Scouting Report, 2023 NFL Draft Big Board: Top 25 Prospects Heading Into NFL Combine Include Jalen Carter, Brian Branch, and Bijan Robinson, Boston Colleges Jaiden Woodbey Is Less Tweener, More Swiss Army Knife, Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa | NFL Draft Scouting Report, Michael Jefferson, WR, Louisiana | NFL Draft Scouting Report, Las Vegas Raiders 2023 Draft Prospects To Target at NFL Combine Include Anthony Richardson, Dawand Jones, and Marvin Mims. Tennessees Alontae Taylor comes off a strong showing at the Combine and has built momentum for himself moving towards the draft. Alontae Taylor. 247Sports: Four-star (90 rating), No. Its in this group that we find Tennessee CB Taylor. There are some areas for improvement which well get to shortly. Comfortable in Press coverage and good jam at the LOS Alontae had a real injury, coach Josh Heupel said. In addition, the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens have shown much interest in him. Weight 195. Three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll Opposing quarterbacks recorded just a 49.2 passer rating when targeting Taylor last season, and Taylor allowed just one touchdown on 52 targets, did not commit any penalties and earned an 83.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus the third-highest among SEC cornerbacks. He does a nice job of reading quarterbacks and making his way to the throw but his burst to close is slightly below average and might offer limited pass-breakup production. It wouldnt be a surprise to see five first-round picks at the position. 76 overall, No. Negatives: Has a limited route tree. WebGet the latest on New Orleans Saints CB Alontae Taylor including news, stats, videos, and more on CBSSports.com Prisco's 2022 NFL Draft grades for each team: Ravens A+. 4 second-year Saints who are looking to make a splash in 2023, Gallery: Saints' top draft picks from the last 8 NFL combines, PFF predicts landing-spots for top Saints pending free agents, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. In between, he broke up passes against Alabama and Florida on his way to 5 pass breakups and 29 tackles for the season. The 6-foot, 199-pound Taylor enjoyed an eye-popping WebNew Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan announces the New Orleans Saints selection of Tennessee Vols cornerback Alontae Taylor in Round 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft Alontae Taylor | Tennessee | #2 | Senior | Manchester, TN | 6000 | 196. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Alontae Taylor was drafted to the Saints as the 49th overall pick. While underneath, he again will use his physicality to jam up receivers through his area. A willing run supporter he will attack the ball and blockers to constrict lanes. He offers possibilities as a dime back and plays with a special-teams mentality. From a wide alignment or tight to the formation he will aggressively take on the block to force the play inside. Arrived on campus as a wide receiver before making the switch to defense his freshman season. Attacks the ball with authority, with quick read-and-react ability. Tries to rip the ball out too much rather than make the tackle, 45 games, 31 starts CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. (Photo: Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire, Getty), CBS Sports: No. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. Williams, who received third-round grades from teams during recent draft meetings, has had official top-30 visits with the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers. Stays with coverage assignments, is effective when facing the action, and displays a closing burst. Hes also an interesting study. Web File photo Tennessee defensive back Alontae Taylor runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL football scouting combine, Sunday, March 6, 2022, in Indianapolis. Im glad that I did it.. Works hard to make plays against the run. Final Word: A well-built, broad player whose thirst for playmaking and resounding hits dominates his tape, Alontae Taylor exhibits the mentality and measurable foundation to challenge NFL receivers as an outside cornerback. Analysis: Butler is a solid interior line prospect who has outstanding length, decent athleticism, and a large upside. Dropping into Zone he reads the QB and makes a nice break on the ball for the pick six. Current. WEAKNESSES: Still developing his decision-making and awareness in coverage his cover angles, especially to the inside, must improve lacks a natural feel for press, losing his balance and failing to connect his technique in reverse comes and goes doesnt trust his hip fluidity, and there is a noticeable hitch at the top of his pedal refined route runners know how to find his blind spot plays with urgency in the run game but sacrifices textbook tackling for undisciplined violence his on-ball production is nothing to get excited about played primarily outside cornerback in college. Taylor started all 12 regular-season games, including the last few while struggling through a toe injury that required a walking boot. Due to his slower change of direction and processing skills, his future projects to be in a zone-heavy scheme. Enjoys the competition aspect of the sport and is eager to hit. Draft Year 2022. While his initial projection is a backup in the NFL, he has the potential with further development to compete to be a starter. *Percentile calculated on how any given stat would rank at the NFL combine Taylor emerged as a team leader and played his best football during his senior season in 2021, and hes performed well in his pre-draft auditions at the Reeses Opting out of the Music City Bowl to prepare for the NFL Draft appears to have been the right professional decision for Tennessee cornerback Alontae Taylor. Taylor reads the eyes of the quarterback and bolts ahead of the throw for the pick-six. (He) played the last month of the season with that injury. Vs Mississippi, he reads the play well shows good acceleration to the ball and gets in on the tackle. Tennessee Volunteers vs. Kentucky Wildcats: Full Highlights, Alontae Taylor scores 56-yard Defensive touchdown vs. Kentucky. Taylor earned an invite to the Senior Bowl, allowing him to represent the Vols one last time (he missed the Music City Bowl to prepare for the 2022 NFL Draft). Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. As a result, Taylor projects as a versatile and physical prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft. Keeps the action in front of him, effectively communicates with teammates in the secondary and immediately reads or diagnoses plays. Positives: Nice-sized cornerback with a terrific head for the position. Speed . Blocks with a nasty attitude. Tennessees Alontae Taylor comes off a strong showing at the Combine and has built momentum for himself moving towards the draft. Against the run, he is not shy about getting involved. Tennessee 2022 NFL Draft Scouting Reports, Alontae Taylor, Tennessee CB | NFL Draft Scouting Report, Cade Mays, Tennessee G | NFL Draft Scouting Report, Matthew Butler, Tennessee DT | NFL Draft Scouting Report, Velus Jones Jr., Tennessee WR | NFL Draft Scouting Report. Willing participant against the run By year two or three, Taylor has the makeup of a quality starter as he continues to gain comfort and time on task at the position. Saints coach Dennis Allen: 'I think there's some foundational pieces that we can build on', As young stars continue to emerge, the Saints hope to end season on four-game winning streak. Stays on his feet, plays off blocks, and bullies his way behind the line of scrimmage to impact the game. The Tennessee CB is not afraid to get involved and do the dirty work, putting his full force into disrupting the ball carrier. In doing so, he elevated his stock further as a full-time starter in the SEC. Continuing his off-field endeavors, Taylor was also the vice chair of the SEC Football Leadership Council. On the first play he has the sideline talking to him while the ball is snapped and he shows his recovery speed. 29? Senior Bowl invitee, had INT in the game. pic.twitter.com/322OuNASej, Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) November 7, 2021, Sign up for the Chargers Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. He was the first Tennessee freshman cornerback to start a season opener since Cameron Sutton in 2013 and went on to have 40 tackles, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups while navigating some ups and downs. Quickly sets up in pass protection, sets with a wide base, and anchors. (30%*), 128 (C) Copyright 2019-2023. 122 overall player, No. And his more muscular physique, which he displayed at UT's Pro Day on Wednesday, supported the same premise. Pittsburgh has mixed up Zone and Man coverages in the past and I would expect the same even with a defensive coordinator change. Not a sudden athlete and shows body stiffness when attempting to quickly redirect. He is two thirds legs, played on both sides of the field and has experience in Man and Zone coverages. Womack had an official top-30 visit with the Chiefs. Alontae Taylor in the second round in particular felt like a reach to me. While Taylor has forged a college career disrupting quarterbacks, the Tennessee CB began his career as an offensive weapon for Coffee County Central High School. He has solid change of direction to mirror the release and react to the receivers cuts. The Commanders, however, may have gotten a steal in Sam Howell. Graduated from Tennessee in December 2021 majoring in communication studies When playing Press without the jam, his reactions arent as smooth and he will give up some space in the initial part of the route. 13 cornerback, Weight: 199 pounds (195 pounds at Pro Day), Arm: 32 1/4 inches (31 1/2 inches at Pro Day), Wingspan: 6 feet, 2 3/4 inches (6 feet, 3 1/8 inches at Pro Day), Vertical jump: 34.5 inches (39 inches at Pro Day), Broad jump: 10 feet, 8 inches (11 feet, 1 inch at Pro Day), Bench press: 14 reps of 225 pounds (Pro Day). Is able to separate himself from blocks and out-leverage his defender to alter the course of the ball. 247Sports Composite: Four-star (0.9471 rating), No. Limited burst to close allows pitch-and-catch from off-man. Needs to get stronger. When taking on blocks he uses a good base, pad level and hand placement and works hard to shed. Physical, jams receivers at the line of scrimmage, and battles them throughout the route. While the results can be inconsistent, he is never passive about tackling or playing off contact. He has patience with the ball in the air and is able to play the receiver with his back to the ball, as well as displaying very good timing on pass breakups. A fixture on Tennessees defense the past four seasons, Alontae Taylor now is ready for the next step of his football career, and the cornerback could be the Vol whos selected highest in this weeks 2022 NFL Draft. In addition to his impact on the field (3 tackles, 1 interception, 3 pass breakups), Taylor displayed his intelligence with a place on the SEC Academic Honor Roll. Furthermore, he can remain physical after the play, with some off-the-ball tussles witnessed during his film study. NFL SCOUTING COMBINE/TENNESSEE PRO DAY RECAP, Grade: 6.17 (Good backup with the potential to develop into starter). Hamilton will be one of the top prospects in the entire 2022 NFL Draft. Mock Draft Database Sites; NFL NBA NHL MLB. During his freshman season, he also combined football with baseball and basketball as a multi-sport standout. Selected to the SEC Football Leadership Council in 2020 where he recently completed his second term as vice chair Too easily lost in the trash. Taylor does a good job of reading the routes in front of him, as well as reading the quarterbacks eyes to get a great jump on the ball. All rights reserved. That would see him exposed against more speedy, twitchy wide receivers in man coverage at the next level. As were about to discover, his scouting report showcases the talents to stick on an NFL roster for years to come. Having secured his first forced fumble against Florida, Taylor returned to haunt the Gators as a sophomore, securing his first career interception. The Saints take their first defensive player of the draft with their second round pick, selecting Tennessee's Alontae The NFL has released a list of 324 names that have been invited to and accepted invitations to the annual NFL Combine in Indianapolis, which will be held from Feb. 28 - March 7. Aware in the red zone stays on the backline to take away fade throws. Heres our expanded scouting report and draft profile: Cade Mays, Tennessee G | NFL Draft Scouting Report. Big, athletic and probably needs some seasoning. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Here are few players I could see the Raiders looking at: Troy Anderson - I'd play him at ILB. Recently, the Jets privately worked out Carpenter at LB. 2023 NFL Draft Big Board: Top 25 Prospects Heading Into NFL Combine Include Jalen Carter, Brian Branch, and Bijan Robinson, Boston Colleges Jaiden Woodbey Is Less Tweener, More Swiss Army Knife, Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa | NFL Draft Scouting Report, Michael Jefferson, WR, Louisiana | NFL Draft Scouting Report, Las Vegas Raiders 2023 Draft Prospects To Target at NFL Combine Include Anthony Richardson, Dawand Jones, and Marvin Mims. In Off Man coverage gives up too much space 49 wide receiver, No. However, with the size and skill set to play cornerback, he transitioned to the secondary ahead of his freshman season in 2018. 10 cornerback, Pro Football Focus: No. He was also invited to the Under Armour All-American Game. Vs Mississippi, at the top of the screen, he is on the outside. 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