He is not afraid of contact and is very competitive. Analysis: Long-limbed cornerback with the size and top-end speed for bump-and-run duties on bigger targets. Hes a big-play threat who needs to round out his game. In Off Man coverage gives up too much space 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. Displays good footwork in reverse and a solid burst to the ball out of his plant. Taylor is a player with length and speed who plays with an aggressive demeanor against the run and the pass. Draft Year 2022. 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. Taylors game relies on his instincts to fire in coverage and his makeup to keep his assignment suppressed. Selected to the SEC Football Leadership Council in 2020 where he recently completed his second term as vice chair Weight 195. Copyright 2019-2023. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images. But it's hard to argue that Taylor should've played, considering the strides he's made while trying to get drafted. Once he was cleared to sprint, Taylors speed returned. An ascending talent that played his best football in 2021, Taylor has developed his instincts in coverage, is a good athlete, features plenty of versatility, and embraces a physical brand of football. New Orleans Saints NFL draft picks 2022: Analysis for every selection, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Alontae Taylor Declares NFL Draft NFL Draft Profile: Alontae Taylor, Cornerback, Tennessee Volunteers NFL draft profile scouting report for Tennessee On Dec. 1, Taylor announced that he would not play in the Music City Bowl to get healthy for the Senior Bowl and NFL Draft preparations. 138 overall, No. 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 Good processing when the action is in front of him, allowing him to make timely breaks on the ball. In looking to lay a big hit, he can fly past his opponent. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Works well with safeties and effectively communicates with teammates in the secondary. The Athletic s NFL writers and insiders on the status of each teams cornerbacks room ahead of free agency and the 2023 draft: 1. Willing participant against the run 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. 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. Vs Mississippi, he reads the play well shows good acceleration to the ball and gets in on the tackle. Positives: Nice-sized cornerback with a terrific head for the position. Deployed in a variety of coverages as a permanent outside cornerback for the Vols. In Zone coverage, he was used on the deep third in Cover 3 and underneath in Cover 2. Labored hip corrections when juked by press release. Taylor is a dependable backup with eventual starting potential whose special teams talent could push him ahead of similar cornerbacks. Reads the QB and gets good breaks on the ball. Still, he possesses the size, speed, and pass-catching ability to play on Sundays. However, it was his performances on the field that would earn the Tennessee CB the opportunity to advance his journey. It wouldnt be a surprise to see five first-round picks at the position. 2022 NFL Draft Player Profiles: Tennessee CB Alontae Taylor. When defending short or medium routes, Taylor shows very good breaking ability and bursts to compete at the catch point. I presently grade Womack as a seventh-round/PFA prospect. Temporibus autem quibusdam et aut officiis debitis aut rerum necessitatibus saepe eveniet. Against the pass, he played about equally on the left and right sides of the field on the outside. Two Tigers were both tamed to an extent by just one Taylor. There arent many NFL draft analysts clued into the annual event better than Daniel Jeremiah, who has risen to prominence with NFL Network. Physical and intelligent cornerback with scheme versatility, Tony Paulines scouting report for Alontae Taylor, Pro Football Networks coverage of Senior Bowl practices. The Northern Iowa product needs more time on an NFL gridiron for proper evaluation. College Tennessee Volunteers. Stays grounded during contact and generates force with his long reach. The cornerback class promises to be one of the strengths of the 2022 NFL Draft. Makes his presence known in the run game with good pursuit angles and hard-striking blows. As the 2022 NFL Draft approaches, the scouting reports from Tennessee include a talented group of athletes from both sides of the ball. He's projected as a mid- to-late-round pick, and his stock was strengthened by his 40 timeat the combine. Obviously, length is important in terms of making plays on the ball. Today, Ill be profiling a speedy defensive back from the SEC. Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem? From an athletic standpoint, theres plenty to enjoy about Taylors game. He will read the quarterback and come off his man to help on the deep routes. Stays on his feet, plays off blocks, and bullies his way behind the line of scrimmage to impact the game. Solid change of direction to mirror release; break on routes Here's a look at the latest draft rankings and a full profile for Taylor. Positives: Quick, explosive lineman who plays with a relentless style. Here is what was said of the former Tennessee cornerback before the Saints selected him: STRENGTHS: Good-sized athlete with plus length and sprinting speed collects himself to transition, stay balanced and elevate to make plays on the ball shades himself to restrict catch windows along the sideline recovers well and works his body into position without making early contact (zero penalties in 2021) highly physical downhill with the competitive appetite to match rams and bounces off blockers, maintaining his pursuit quarterbacked an option offense and played wide receiver in high school and is comfortable with the ball in the air senior captain and was voted to the SEC leadership council in 2020 (served two terms as vice chair) productive on special teams (462 career snaps) and has the skill set to be a four-phase coverage player. While his initial projection is a backup in the NFL, he has the potential with further development to compete to be a starter. Plays to his 40 time, tracks the pass in the air, and nicely adjusts to errant throws. Alontae Taylor was drafted to the Saints as the 49th overall pick. 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. Stays with assignments, fires upfield defending screen passes and very aggressive. Meanwhile, he added 75 touchdowns spread across passing, rushing, and receiving. Taylor finished the season with 40 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 pass breakups. He also has the length and anticipation for teams emphasizing Cover 2/Cover 3. Tariq Carpenter is all over draft boards at several positions since draft meetings ended last week. Punch from press is forceful and aggressive. 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. Weaknesses: Start-stop ability needs hard plants and major shifts of weight, delaying his burst to the ball. Alontae Taylor NFL Draft Profile Position: Cornerback School: Tennessee Current Year: Senior Height: 60 Weight: 196 pounds Wingspan: 75 Arm: 31 7/8 Hand: 9 247Sports: Four-star (90 rating), No. These players could be potential top 10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Tennessee Volunteers vs. Kentucky Wildcats: Full Highlights, Alontae Taylor scores 56-yard Defensive touchdown vs. Kentucky. Taylor showed some explosion and the ability to fire to the ball out of his plant, was one of the comments from Pro Football Networks coverage of Senior Bowl practices. Following a standout performance at the 2017 Toyota East-West Tennessee All-Star Classic, the promising prospect was named the MVP of the East team. Having secured his first forced fumble against Florida, Taylor returned to haunt the Gators as a sophomore, securing his first career interception. 10 cornerback, Pro Football Focus: No. Pro Football Network strives to passionately deliver purposeful, captivating, and exceptional football content. Plays through pain. Fits best is as a press-man corner level due to size and ability to close to the ball and his ability to jam the receiver at the line. Who are analysts selecting for the Saints at pick No. Web2022 NFL Draft Prospect: Alontae Taylor-CB-Tennessee Alontae Taylor, CB, Tennessee Height: 6-0. The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine is upon us, and mock drafts are all the rage. When tackling he aims too high or lunges late and struggles to get players down. With those qualities combined with an aggressive approach, Taylor has the potential to make an impact in the NFL. 19 cornerback, The Draft Network: No. If you like what you see on this site, we now have an ad-free option available for a donation of $25 per year, and you can enjoy the site entirely ad-free! Right now, hes getting grades that range from late Round 3 to the early fourth. He has experience in Man playing in Off and Press coverage and playing on both sides of the field. So who do the experts have the New Orleans Saints targeting in the first round of their latest projections? Heres the latest were hearing from around the NFL. Heres our expanded scouting report and draft profile: Matthew Butler, Tennessee DT | NFL Draft Scouting Report. With that said, his best moments in coverage come when he can cue the backfield, stay leveraged, and drive forward. Very average recovery quickness in space. Meanwhile, others have him listed as a linebacker, including the New York Jets. Pro Football Network strives to passionately deliver purposeful, captivating, and exceptional football content. All rights reserved. After enrolling early, Taylor lasted about half of his first spring practice at wide receiver before Pruitt & Co. moved him to defense, a move the player initially was hesitant to buy into. Originally committed to Vanderbilt in 2015, he held an on/off relationship with Tennessee as the program underwent coaching changes. 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. Gators Anthony Richardson headlines quarterbacks to watch at the 2023 NFL Combine | You Pod to Win the Game,In a recent discussion on the top QB prospects at the upcoming NFL combine, Charles McDonald from Yahoo Sports and Derrik Klassen from Football Outsiders shared their thoughts on whether Florida's Anthony Richardson could Can play deep or underneath in Zones All Rights Reserved. During informal meetings, I told every single (NFL) scout I was going to run a 4.38. I'm moving on quickly from the 2021 NFL draft with my first Big Board and position rankings for the 2022 class. Closes quickly and generates explosion. The 2022 NFL draft will take place April 28-30 in Paradise, Nevada. Displays outstanding awareness, battles defensive backs, and works to come away with the difficult catch. Due to his slower change of direction and processing skills, his future projects to be in a zone-heavy scheme. Bleacher Report. He finished the season with 5 tackles and 1 interception against Texas A&M. There arent many NFL draft analysts clued into the annual event better than Daniel Jeremiah, who has risen to prominence with NFL Network. He has a natural feel for man coverage, although he can be sloppy with his feet in press. 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. 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). Good processing when the action is in front of him, allowing him to make timely breaks on the ball. Has very good reaction skills to break quickly on the ball. I got emotional when I got back to my room, just kind of going through the toe injury and things like that. Plant-and-drive acceleration from backpedal is lacking. (49%*), 4.36 (C) Effective return specialist. In Indianapolis, he timed 4.36 seconds in the 40 with a quick 10-yard split of 1.50 seconds. A willing run supporter he will attack the ball and blockers to constrict lanes. When he arrived in Phoenix in December, he was held out of 40-yard dash training runs while other prospects started them immediately. Against Missouri, the physical cornerback led all Tennessee players with 7 tackles. (30%*), 128 (C) Gambles too often. Reach Adam Sparks at adam.sparks@knoxnews.com and on Twitter @AdamSparks. What could the Saints gain from trading down out of the 2023 first round? Some fans believe college players should finish the season, including a bowl game, before preparing for the draft. https://saintswire.usatoday.com/lists/pre-draft-scouting-reports-saints-alontae-taylor-nfl/, According to our interview with his trainer Lorenzo Spikes, 5 worst head coaches in New Orleans Saints franchise history, Broncos announce coaching staff additions: All 8 of the ex-Saints joining Sean Payton. While the results can be inconsistent, he is never passive about tackling or playing off contact. The Northern Iowa product needs more time on an NFL gridiron for proper evaluation. Hes also an interesting study. Draft Year 2022. Alontae Taylor. A lot of them had me sign it and Im a man of my word.. 4 prospect in Tennessee. My comp for him will be Shaquill Griffin who has similar size, speed and aggressiveness. WebAll Combine and Draft-Related Analysis, News, Video, and Biographical Information for Alontae Taylor Analysis: Jones is a physically talented wideout who showed continual improvement in his game and had a breakout senior season. Taylors 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. Jordan Battle, Alabama. Hes had official top-30 visits with the Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, and Green Bay Packers. Alontae Taylor in the second round in particular felt like a reach to me. 9 prospect in Tennessee. Furthermore, he showcases the ability to click and close impressively in coverage. Stays with coverage assignments, is effective when facing the action, and displays a closing burst. 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