53 Men: LB Adarius Taylor Player Profile
LB Adarius Taylor
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 230 lbs
College: Florida Atlantic
NFL stats: 121 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 3 QB Hits, 2 sacks, one interception
Depth Chart Projection: Depth/Special Teams
The name may not be familiar, but Adarius Taylor isn't foreign to the Panthers' organization. He played his rookie season with the Panthers in 2014 as Adarius Glanton. He changed his name to Taylor in 2018 to honor his father, who passed away when he was nine.
For much of his career, he has been used on special teams, but did notch 14 starts in two years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, averaging about 6.5 tackles per start. His role in Carolina will likely be similar as primarily a special teamer, but with an opportunity to carve out a role on defense.
Analysis:
There's not one thing in particular that really pops out when you watch Taylor on the field, but he's usually in the right spot, which is about the most you can ask for a guy that will have limited action on defense. His experience in the league will be beneficial to what is a relatively young linebacker room. If any injuries occur, you could see him be one of the first options off the bench.
53-Man Roster Status: On the fence
Despite him being around the league for a while, I'm not confident that he is a "lock" for the roster. Once you get to this part of the depth chart, anything is possible. An undrafted free agent could come up and steal this spot away from Taylor. Although I'm on the fence, I'm going to say he ends up making the cut.
Previous "53 Men" projections
No. 18 OG Michael Schofield III
What type of season do you expect from Adarius Taylor? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
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