Taylor First Vol Off the Board in 2020 Draft

Darrell Taylor is the first Vol to get drafted in the 2020 class, coming off 48th Overall to the Seahawks.

It took until the second round, but the first Volunteer is off the board in the 2020 Draft. There were different opinions on which Tennessee player may be the first to go, but leading up to the Draft, Darrell Taylor was the name that kept coming up. Tonight, halfway through the second round, Taylor heard his name called by the Commissioner as the latest member of the Seattle Seahawks. Taylor has grown enormously through his career in Knoxville, and now it has led to an NFL opportunity.

Taylor arrived at Tennessee as a four-star defensive end prospect from Hopewell High School (Hopewell, VA). Taylor was a skinny defensive end when he got to Knoxville, just shy of 220 pounds. Taylor redshirted his first year at Tennessee, and played sparingly as a redshirt freshman in 2016, but he did gain fame before the Battle of Bristol for coining, “WGWTFA.” As a redshirt freshman, Taylor was behind Derek Barnett and Corey Vereen, but after Vereen graduated and Barnett left early for the NFL, Taylor saw an opportunity to get to the field. The Vols used several combinations of players on the edge in 2017, but Taylor made a huge impact in the season opener. When the Vols played against Georgia Tech to open the season in the Mercedes Benz Dome, Taylor made one of the most memorable plays of his career by making the tackle on a two-point conversion in double overtime to win the game. Taylor made some impact on a Tennessee defense that struggled in 2017, but wound up being one of the Vols' best defenders.

In 2018, Jeremy Pruitt and his 3-4 defense arrived in Knoxville, which spelled a position change for Taylor. The then redshirt junior had added muscle and weight to his frame, but had retained the speed and quickness he showed at 220 pounds. He was one of the few players that seemed to be made for the front seven of Tennessee's new scheme, and hit the ground running under Pruitt and company. Taylor ended the season with 8 sacks, racking up three on the road at Georgia. He also had a huge game in Tennessee's upset win on the road against Auburn. Taylor returned for his senior season, and showed his productivity more consistently across an entire season. Taylor registered 8.5 sacks as a fifth-year senior, bringing his career total to 19.5. Taylor showed that he could drop into coverage more as a senior, but he also showed that he is a disruptive force off the edge. Even if Taylor didn't get sacks, he pressured quarterbacks, and he also showed that he can disrupt and defend the run game in game out. Taylor is perhaps the defensive player that grew the most under Pruitt, going from a promising but inconsistent edge defender, to a complete linebacker that can pressure quarterbacks consistently. 

Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks saw enough of Taylor's tape, growth, and production to take him at pick number 48 in the 2nd round. The Seahawks have been looking to create pass rush in the NFC West against Kyler Murray, Jimmy Garropolo, and Jarred Goff on the schedule twice a year. In Taylor, the Seahawks gain a versatile defender that can line up with his hand in the dirt, or play at linebacker. He is a complete defender that will excel at bringing pressure from wherever the Seahawks line him up. Taylor represents the highest draft pick for Pruitt since coming to Tennessee, and continues Pruitt’s trend of having success with developing outside linebackers.