Branson Taylor NFL Draft 2025: Scouting Report for Pittsburgh OT

HEIGHT: 6'6"

WEIGHT: 321

HAND: 9¾"

ARM: 32¾"

WINGSPAN: 81¾"

40-YARD DASH: 5.26

3-CONE: 7.34

SHUTTLE: 4.62

VERTICAL: 28.5"

BROAD: 8'8"

POSITIVES

— Big, thick frame and build with a stiff punch to deliver jolt at the point.

— Excels on flat and jump sets when he can get his hands on rushers quickly, corral and clench them up with good grip strength.

— Firm, sturdy anchor.

— Does a nice job getting into his fit, torquing and uprooting defenders out of the hole on angle-drive blocks.

— Solid burst and quicks on the move to intersect and cover up smaller targets.

NEGATIVES

— High pad level saps his power and sustain skills in the run game.

— Rigid, robotic playing style leaves him outleveraged and late to recover once defenders get on his edges.

— Mediocre range and ability to expand his set points on an island creates too many short corners.

— Overly reliant on striking with two hands in pass protection, leaving him vulnerable to inside counter moves.

NOTES

— Born Feb. 13, 2002

— 3-star recruit from the 2020 class, per 247Sports

— Suffered a season-ending torn meniscus in his left knee during Week 6 of the 2024 season against California

— 21 career starts at left (18) and right (three) tackle

— 2024 team captain

— Unable to participate in the all-star game circuit due to a knee injury

OVERALL

Branson Taylor is a two-year starter primarily at left tackle, including six starts in 2024 inside Pittsburgh's 54-48 pass-run split, multiple run scheme. Taylor has a thick, well-rounded build with solid arm length, play strength and athletic ability.

Taylor wins as a run-blocker using his wide-bodied, thick build and frame with heavy hands and an aggressive demeanor to cover up and uproot targets on angle-drive blocks. He has good grip strength to sustain long enough to secure lanes off his backside.

Taylor has an upright style that creates inconsistency in his power and sustain skills. That leaves him high, vulnerable to getting overextended and outleveraged too often.

In pass protection, Taylor excels using flat and jump sets to close space on tightly aligned rushers, deliver jolt and clench with good grip strength. Once latched ,he can keep defenders at his fingertips with a firm anchor to grind down the bull- ush. He is overly reliant on striking with two hands, leaving him vulnerable to inside countermoves, and he shows mediocre range and ability to expand his set points on an island, creating too many short corners.

Overall, Taylor brings a rugged presence with good grip strength, flashes of power and anchoring ability. However, regular lapses in technique, body positioning and pad level result in erratic sustain skills. His best path to develop a role would be inside a play-action-heavy system at tackle or guard, where he can play aggressively and dictate terms to defenders.

GRADE: 6.2 (Developmental Prospect — 5th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 205

POSITION RANK: OT16

PRO COMPARISON: Raw Matthew Bergeron

Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn