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Alontae Taylor NFL Draft 2022: Scouting Report for New Orleans Saints' CB
April 30, 2022
HEIGHT: 6'0 1/8"
WEIGHT: 199
HAND: 9 1/8"
ARM: 32 1/4"
WINGSPAN: 6'2 3/4"
40-YARD DASH: 4.36
3-CONE: DNP
SHUTTLE: DNP
VERTICAL: 34.5"
BROAD: 10'8"
POSITIVES
— Smooth runner who shows outstanding speed for the position, along with some recovery speed downfield.
— Fluid hips that allow him to swivel with little wasted movement.
— Has good twitch. Explosive out of breaks.
— Very good vision in zone coverage. Has awareness of threats, along with an internal clock of when the ball should be out.
— Shows up in the run game. Good physicality when taking on blocks. Willing tackler who will stick his nose on the action.
NEGATIVES
— Shows to have trouble sinking his hips at times to get out of breaks, especially when in full stride close to top speed.
— Hand fighter who can occasionally get bumped off routes downfield.
— Can be overly aggressive at times. Gambles too often.
2021 STATISTICS
12 Games, 60 Tackes, 1 TFL, 2 INT, 6 PBU, 1 FF
NOTES
— 31 Starts in career
— 2022 Reese's Senior Bowl Invitee
— 2021 All-SEC Fourth Team (Phil Steele)
OVERALL
Alontae Taylor is a versatile athlete who shows the ability to play in multiple schemes as well as press and off coverage. He is a smooth player with an opportunistic play style. Taylor does a good job of reading the routes in front of him, as well as reading the quarterback’s eyes to get a great jump on the ball. He looks to squat and jump shorter routes.
Given his success as a gambler, he can be too ambitious at times, putting himself in bad positions. When defending short or medium routes, Taylor shows very good breaking ability and bursts to compete at the catch point. 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. He has a natural feel for man coverage, although he can be sloppy with his feet in press.
When playing the run game, Taylor is a willing tackler who isn't afraid to support the run. He tends to be more of a wrap tackler who looks to get the ball-carrier on the ground, delivering big hits. He will occasionally square up the ball-carrier, but that's typically when the running lane is narrowed and there is little space to utilize.
Taylor's lack of strength showed up at times when taking on bigger receivers, but he did show the short-area quickness to evade offensive linemen in space. Ultimately, he excelled in man coverage, while also showing the ability to play in zone. He will need to sharpen up some of his technique and tone down his gambling in certain situations. He is a backup player who will look to compete for a starting role.
GRADE: 6.8 (4th Round: Potential Role Player)
OVERALL RANK: 124
POSITION RANK: CB15
PRO COMPARISON: Kendall Sheffield
Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings