2020 NFL Draft prospect and Colorado linebacker Davion Taylor has the tools to be this year’s big ‘winner’ of the Scouting Combine among linebackers.
The Scouting Combine is not a replacement for actual on-field production for athletes hoping to make it to the NFL, but every year, it’s a chance for guys to raise eyebrows and force scouts to go back and see if their eyes deceived them or not in film study.
In the 2020 NFL Draft, a class which appears to be filled with intriguing players at the linebacker position, Colorado Buffaloes linebacker Davion Taylor stands out as a player who could really ‘win’ the process that is the combine.
So who is Taylor? What does he bring to the table?
Although Taylor played football in high school, he wasn’t able to play in games due to his religious beliefs as a Seventh-Day Adventist, keeping him from those activities on Friday or Saturday nights.
Although Taylor was unable to shine on the football field in high school, he was a state champion in track as a sprinter and triple jumper.
When he turned 18, Taylor received his family’s blessing to play in the games and he wound up having to go the Community College route as a result of his lack of actual game tape.
He ended up getting recruited to Colorado as a four-star JUCO product and did a great job there from 2018-19 racking up 129 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and six pass breakups.
Taylor also shined for the Colorado track team.
Listed at 6-foot-1, 225 pounds, Taylor is obviously a bit on the smaller side for the linebacker position, but his type of athletic makeup is coveted in today’s NFL.
His natural athleticism will be on display as the linebackers take the field in Indianapolis on Saturday afternoon.
He’s obviously hoping to break Shaquem Griffin’s linebacker record of 4.38 in the 40-yard dash and with his time in the 100-meter dash, it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility. This kid can absolutely fly, but he’s more than just fast — he’s strong, explosive, and quick.
There’s a good chance that by the end of the weekend, everyone’s going to be talking about Davion Taylor as one of the biggest winners of the Combine in general and perhaps the biggest winner of the linebacker position as a whole.