Draft Prospect Profile | DE/LB Darrell Taylor, Tennessee

Let's see what the versatile Darrell Taylor of Tennessee has to offer as a potential edge rusher.

Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Darrell Taylor is an outside linebacker/edge rusher who played collegiately at Tennessee. Born and raised in Hopewell, Virginia, he attended Hopewell High School.

Taylor was a four-star football recruit coming out of high school. He had offers from over 20 Division I football programs, including Florida, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, and Oklahoma, but ended up committing to play for Tennessee in September of 2014.

After redshirting during his first year at Tennessee, Taylor played in eight games in 2016 and had nine total tackles, and one pass defended. He earned more playing time during his redshirt sophomore season, recording 27 total tackles (4.5 tackles for loss), three sacks, two passes defended, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in ten games played.

Taylor was mainly used at defensive end in 2016 and 2017, but he started playing outside linebacker during his redshirt junior season in 2018. He appeared in 12 games and had eight sacks (team-high), 36 total tackles (11 tackles for loss), three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.

Taylor finished his college career with an impressive redshirt senior season, as he recorded 46 total tackles (10 tackles for loss), 8.5 sacks (second in the SEC), one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and four passes defended. He had six total tackles and 1.5 sacks during Tennessee’s 23-22 victory over Indiana in the 2020 Gator Bowl.

After a successful four-year playing career in one of the toughest conferences in college football, Taylor is primed to be a productive starting defensive player in the NFL.

His size and quickness off the edge should help him be an impactful defensive player, and because he can line up at either defensive end or linebacker, he could provide a lot of value to whichever team decides to draft him. Taylor should be viewed as a potential mid-round sleeper for teams seeking a pass rusher.

Why He’s a Fit

The Giants recently decided to place their franchise tag on Leonard Williams, but it is not yet known how defensive coordinator Patrick Graham plans to delay Williams.

Graham could line Williams up at defensive end, the position he mainly played while in college at USC. However, he has started getting more playing time at defensive tackle over the past few years.

If Graham wants to use Williams as a defensive tackle, then Giants general manager Dave Gettleman is going to need to draft an edge rusher in April.

Taylor is a guy that should be on Gettleman’s radar, as the Giants could theoretically snag him in the fourth round of the draft. It is unlikely that they will take an edge rusher in either of the first two rounds.

Some believe Gettleman will consider Isaiah Simmons in the first round (if he’s still available ) and then shift his attention to offensive tackle in the second round.

The best-case scenario for the Giants in terms of defensive players in the draft will be if they end up with Isaiah Simmons and Taylor. These two playmakers could help turn the defense around in 2020.

It’s not just Taylor’s skills as a pass rusher that make him an intriguing mid-round option for the Giants. During his four years at Tennessee, he forced six fumbles and had four fumble recoveries. The Giants need an edge rusher who can not only get to the quarterback but also force turnovers.

Last season, their defense forced just nine fumbles, which was tied for third-least in the league. They also had only six fumble recoveries and ten interceptions. 

Taylor was a good pass-rusher and a dynamic playmaker in college, which is why he would be a good fit for the Giants.