The Pittsburgh Steelers visited with DE Calvin Taylor Wednesday, according to the NFL’s official transaction report. Taylor should sound like a familiar name to Steelers’ fans. Undrafted this year out of Kentucky, he signed with the Steelers after April’s draft.
Taylor is a unique body type, weighing in at 6’8/2, 310 pounds. He made 22 starts for the Wildcats, compiling 85 tackles (16.5 for loss), 10.5 sacks, five pass deflections, and three forced fumbles. As a senior, he recorded 36 tackles (9.5 TFL) with four pass deflections and three forced fumbles. Taylor didn’t begin playing football until his sophomore year of high school, seeing time at LT and DE while also playing basketball for his high school team.
After signing with the team, we wrote this scouting report on his game.
Here are the highlights of the report:
“– Flashes power on punch with proper placement and leverage, can overwhelm undersized guards and centers and collapse the pocket
– Shows strength at point of attack and can stalemate offensive linemen in the run game
– Runs hard to the ball, chases sideline-to-sideline and doesn’t quit on plays
– Gets hands up in throwing lanes, can disrupt throws even without pressure”
And the lowlights:
“– Lumbers around, moves and runs like a baby deer in tight space and when asked to change directions
– Works hard to get off ground but easily cut and taken to the ground
– Lacks go-to pass rush move when bull fails/isn’t used, unrefined, not a great hand fighter who tires and gets stuck on blocks when initial move stalls out
– Predictably struggles with leverage, gets too tall upon contact and loses leverage/length, gets swallowed up and too tight to the blocker, making it difficult for him to shed blocks”
He spent camp with the Steelers before being released at final cutdowns. The Steelers have an open practice squad after Daniel McCullers signed with the Chicago Bears. The team may be replacing Big Dan with Calvin Taylor. We’ll update you if the team officially signs him.
