Getty Davion Taylor #20 of the Colorado Buffaloes
As more and more signs point towards the New York Giants snagging an offensive tackle with their first pick in Thursday’s NFL Draft, their recent activity of meeting with second and third day projected linebackers becomes more noteworthy.
According to Kristian Dyer of Sports Illustrated, there’s yet another name you can add to the extensive list of scouting the G-Men have done on the linebacker position this offseason.
The Giants have reportedly held a video meeting with Colorado linebacker prospect Davion Taylor.
So far, Taylor has had video meetings with the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts according to a source.
He has had phone interviews as well, according to a source, with the Seattle Seahawks, Washington, New York Giants, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans among others.
Giants Eyeing Athleticism at the LB Position
Davion Taylor’s skillset follows suit with the majority of the linebacker prospects the Giants have set their eyes on this offseason. Players such as Isaiah Simmons, Kenneth Murray, Patrick Queen and Logan Wilson are just some of the backers that New York has held virtual meetings with over the past few months. All of these players possess plus-athleticism, something that has been seriously lacking from the position in recent years for the Giants.
Taylor showed off his blazing speed at this year’s NFL combine, posting a 4.49 40-yard dash, the third-fastest time by any linebacker at the event. Taylor also got the benefit of being one of the few prospects this draft season to hold a Pro Day open to the masses prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. At his Pro Day, he once again turned heads, clocking in with a 4.39 forty while also showing off his hops, posting a 36-inch vertical.
Unsurprisingly, Taylor’s athleticism transitioned to solid production at Colorado, racking up 72 tackles, one sack, one fumble recovery and four passes defended in his final season with the Buffaloes. As you can expect based off of his combine results, Taylor excels in pass coverage, falling in line with the fellow linebacker prospects New York has eyed ahead of Thursday’s draft.
The Giants notably inked Blake Martinez to a fairly large deal this offseason. While the former Green Bay Packer has continually ranked as one of the league’s most prolific tacklers over recent years, there’s no denying that he’s had his struggles in the passing game, leading to a meager 58.7 PFF grade in 2019.
It’s clear that New York is looking to add a coverage linebacker in this year’s NFL Draft. Whether that’s to line up next to Martinez, or to spell Martinez on obvious passing downs, is up for debate.
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