The 2019 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. The Game Haus will be doing scouting reports on some of the top prospects in the 2019 NFL Draft. Florida offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor has played well throughout the 2018 college football season and will now be in the 2019 NFL Draft.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZPa1QmGapo

Background

Position: Offensive Tackle

Class: Junior

2018 stats: 13 starts

Size: 6-foot-5, 312 pounds

Taylor wasn’t the most highly regarded prospect coming out of high school, as 247 sports had him ranked as a three-star prospect. He made the most of his time at Florida though and now after his junior season, he is one of the best tackles in the 2019 NFL Draft class.

During his time as a Gator, Taylor has started most of the games. In the 2016 season, as a freshman, Taylor started 12 games and played in 13. Since then he has been a mainstay on the Florida offensive line. He helped pave the way for an increase in offensive production for Florida this season with the Gators rushing for 213.2 yards per game, which ranked 27th in the country. Taylor has experience at both tackle spots on the offensive line.

His film will be analyzed by NFL scouts, but Taylor has played well enough to be considered a good prospect. He will likely be selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Strengths

Taylor gets off the ball well, setting him up well for success after the snap. He displays good feet and body control as well as decent athleticism. All of these traits allowed him to play both tackle spots at Florida, but in the pros he could even move to guard. This versatility could make him a candidate for a lot of different teams.

He has good power and toughness in the running game. Taylor starts the play by winning his matchup and if the play warrants it, he gets to the second level. He demonstrates good hands and finishes plays well, which allows runners to pick up extra yards.

Taylor was solid pass blocker throughout his time at Florida as a right tackle. He handles power rushers extremely well, as he is able to match them with his strength. He punches well and is able to stop a lot of rushers once he is able to get his hands on them.

Weaknesses

While he has played both tackle spots, he struggled at left tackle in 2017. He was beaten by good pass rushers and may not be good enough to protect the blind side at the NFL. Taylor could be a better fit at right tackle or guard, but if evaluators don’t think he can be a left tackle, it could drastically hurt his draft stock. It is also notable that he played most of his career at right tackle.

Specifically, Taylor has struggled with speed rushers or rushers who can bend, as they were able to get around the edge. While playing right tackle he was able to hold his own as a pass blocker, as he even matched up well with Kentucky’s Josh Allen for the few snaps they were lining up across from each other. But if he can’t stay consistent, he can’t be trusted as a left tackle.

Taylor is questionable when he has to play in space. This affected him at both tackle spots, but if he is isolated from the rest of the line of scrimmage, he struggles to keep defenders in front of him. This is one of the many reasons he could work better as a guard at the next level.

Projected Draft Range: First round-Second round

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