From now until the 2023 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, I will be profiling Oklahoma State safety, Jason Taylor II.
#25 Jason Taylor II, S, Oklahoma State (rSR) — 5115, 204 lbs.
Combine/Pro Day
Measurements
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Jason Taylor II | 5’11 5/8”/204 | 10 | 32 | N/A |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.50 | 1.52 | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 10’9” | 43 | 14 |
The Good
— Good size and length
— Explosive vertical and broad jump
— Experience playing in the box, slot, and deep
— Solid range from split safety
— Can cover RBs and TEs in the short area
— Good ball production
— Solid tackler overall
The Bad
— Poor aggressiveness and urgency in his game
— Lacks range to play the single-high safety
— Lacks physicality to play in the box
— Poor man coverage on WR in slot
— Takes poor angles and will slide off ball carriers in open field
— Poor mental processing of run game
— Overruns the ball on outside runs
Bio
— 2022: 99 tackles, 80 solo, 3.5 TFL, 6 INT, 13 PBU, 1 FR
— Career: 159 tackles, 126 solo, .0 TFL, 2.5 sacks, 8 INT, 1 TD, 19 PBU, 1 FF, 2FR, 1 blocked kick
— 51 games, 26 starts
— 2022 first-team All-Big 12
— Led Big 12 in interceptions and solo tackles in 2022
— Chose Oklahoma State to honor his late father, a Cowboys fan
— University studies major
— Special teams experience
— Birthday 12/30/1999 (age 23)
Tape Breakdown
The search through the group of safeties continues in our pre-draft process. Jason Taylor II has plenty of experience and has played as the deep safety, in the box, and in the slot. He has good size and some impressive Combine numbers, including a 43-inch vertical leap.
Against the pass, playing deep he is best suited as a split safety. He plays with a lot of depth and solid range, acting as the last line of defense. When playing in the box he was used to cover TEs and RBs out of the backfield in man coverage and was solid in the short area. In the slot, he played off-man coverage and had some solid reps versus bigger receivers. He had a knack for being in the right place with several interceptions and a fumble recovery in the games watched. He showed good hands to rip out the ball or corral the errant pass. Occasionally, he was used on a blitz and with a clear lane he showed solid acceleration.
Against TCU, Taylor breaks on the slant and is able to rip it out at the goal-line.
As the split safety to the top, he makes a nice play on the ball, nearly coming up with a turnover.
Taylor displayed good hands when given the opportunity.
Against the run as the deep safety, Taylor approached runners cautiously and was solid getting them to the ground. He showed a solid ability to get through empty gaps and get to the ball.
Against Wisconsin, going in motion with the offensive player Taylor will work through a gap and bring down the runner in the backfield.
Taylor didn’t show the range to play as the single-high safety. His range was marginal from this alignment and his angles were just adequate. In coverage from the slot, he gives up too much space and has poor change of direction to handle wide receivers. When attempting to make tackles he slid off receivers and had some straight up whiffs.
Two clips of man coverage. In the first Taylor is at the bottom, well off the receiver stack. His guy will run a shallow cross and he’ll come back into the picture all the way across the field. The second play he is in the slot to the top and is really slow to react to the play.
Against the run, Taylor was slow to react coming to the ball. He displayed poor aggressiveness to get to the ball or attack as a tackler. When reading running plays, he loses sight of the ball, chasing the fake or the pulling blocker. He was poor when trying to get off any block. When chasing the ball to the outside he will overrun the play, getting off balance and outside the runner.
Versus Wisconsin against the run. Taylor is the near safety in these plays. Each one he goes where the ball isn’t giving up a big run.
Conclusion
Taylor has good size and athletic measurables. He has played some man coverage and as the deep safety. In Cover 2, he displays solid angles and range and is a solid tackler coming downhill. He can cover most RBs and TEs in the shallow area and has a knack for being involved in turnovers. Against the run, he is solid tackler coming downhill and can get into gaps.
Nonchalant is not the word you want to come to mind watching a player. There was no urgency or aggressiveness in his game. He doesn’t seem to play up to his athletic profile and didn’t play at the speed of the game. Mike Tomlin is fond of the whoa versus sic’em analogy. Taylor is someone you would have to say sic’em. With his athletic profile and measurables someone will bring him in and hope they can get the best out of him. I don’t think he fits what Pittsburgh looks for at this position.
For a player comp, I’ll go with Kurtis Drummond, who played at Michigan State. He had similar size and ball skills but had trouble with diagnosing and physicality.
Projection: Undrafted Free Agent
Depot Draft Grade: 5.8 Priority Free Agent
Games Watched: 2022 –At TCU, Vs Texas, At Oklahoma, Vs Wisconsin
