2014 Draft

2014 NFL Draft Player Scouting Report – Coastal Carolina RB Lorenzo Taliaferro

By Alex Kozora

Posted on April 18, 2014 at 7:20 am

By Alex Kozora

Our focus has shifted to the offseason and for the next few months, I’ll be providing scouting reports on several draft prospects. Some of these players the Pittsburgh Steelers may look at and others will be top players that will be off the board before they select. All to make you as prepared as possible for the 2014 NFL Draft.

Breakdown of a small school prospect. Coastal Carolina running back Lorenzo Taliaferro.

Lorenzo Taliaferro/RB Coastal Carolina: 6’0/2 229

The Good

– Imposing size

– Broad build and carries his weight well

– Tough, physical runner who makes defenders earn their tackles

– Ability to fall forward and crank out extra yards

– Good vision and follows his blocks well

– Doesn’t dance, one-cut runner, prides self on running downhill to maintain the little speed he owns

– Fluid, experienced route runner

– Natural hands

– Above average job in pass protection

– Versatile, lined up in the slot as a receiver

– Good effort and motor

– Highly successful 2013 campaign

The Bad

– Severe questions about talent as a runner transitioning

– Speed deficient

– Lacks defining quality as a runner

– Very little wiggle and makes few miss

– Slow in his cuts and change of direction

– Not an asset outside of the tackles

– Frame causes him to run too high

– Low level of competition

– Essentially only one year as the starter

Other

– 18 career starts at Costal Carolina, 15 coming in 2013

– Rewrote school’s single-season record books

– 2013: 276 carries 1729 yards 29 total TDs

– Most single-season rushing yards, touchdowns, all-purpose

– Caught 23 passes for 153 yards in 2013

– Five-time Big South Offensive Player of the Week (tied league record)

– First Team All-Big South, conference offensive player of the year

– 2^nd Team AP All-American

– Played at Lackawanna (PA) JUCO for two years prior

– Saw kick return duties there

– Ran for nearly 1700 yards and 21 rushing TDs during senior year of high school, leading school to winning state title

– Missed season opener in 2012 with an injury

– Suffered broken leg freshman year of high school

– Torn ligament in right thumb senior year of high school, played through it wearing a cast

Tape Breakdown

On the good, he is your typical downhill runner that is capable of delivering a blow. Shows the leg drive to keep the pile pushing and grind out tough yards.

Takes multiple Presbyterian defenders to bring Taliaferro down.

This is really Taliaferro at his best. Patience to wait for his blocks to develop, one-cut downhill, and fall forward through contact into the end zone.

I first noticed him at the Senior Bowl standing out in pass protection drills. And as I noted in my report, he’s better in that area than most. But in the relatively limited look I got, no play that really stood out.

Stays with his block and ends up burying the defender into the ground.

Was asked to do some more advanced concepts out of the backfield. Like chip and then release out as a checkdown option.

Soft hands and a really good route runner for the position and his size. Love this catch on 3^rd and 3 to keep the drive alive.

They would occasionally split him into to the slot. Dating back to his JUCO days, he could serve as a kick returner. Has versatility.

Something he’ll need because I don’t see a true running back. He barely had speed at the FCS level. Unlikely to magically get better on Sundays. It’ll regress because of the level of competition. Fearful of him becoming a plodder who is really only an asset between the tackles.

This is a first down run but look how slow he is at planting his foot and changing directions to get upfield. Hips are very stiff.

Look how high his body is as he cuts back to the left. Doesn’t shake the defender and gets pushed back.

At a glance, it looks like he only had four carries that went for more than 30 yards. At that level, it’s a tad disappointing.

He’s Brian Leonard-esque. A player who can carve out a niche role as a blocker/receiver and occasional runner inbetween the tackle but he doesn’t look to stand much of a chance as a full-time running back.

Projection: Late Fifth, Early Sixth

Games Watched: at Liberty, vs Presbyterian (Half), at Montana