We are starting to see Taywan Taylor come out of his shell. So, how good can Taylor really be?
Taywan Taylor has always been an intriguing player to me. The Titans moved up in the third round of the 2017 Draft to select Taylor, even though they had just selected Corey Davis the day before. Taylor is a somewhat of a local guy, playing his college ball at Western Kentucky. It was obviously important to General Manager Jon Robinson to give quarterback Marcus Mariota more weapons who could make plays and stretch the field.
Taylor has shown flashes in his early career as a Titan. Last year, Taylor caught a long touchdown from Mariota during a Monday Night Football game against the Colts, a score that broke a tie in the final frame. Taylor also had an impressive touchdown on a screen pass from Mariota on Saturday in the team’s preseason game against the Buccaneers. The Louisville native even drew praise from LeBron James via Instagram. The 23-year older also caught another touchdown on a quick slant on Saturday.
It has shown this year that Taylor has tremendous upside and a skill set that former Head Coach Mike Mularkey and offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie didn’t bother tapping into. Taywan was used sparingly last season, but has been a focal point of the offense in training camp and preseason. 13 in two-tone blue has also benefited greatly from the injury to Rishard Matthews that has kept him out of the preseason thus far.
The question I have been wondering is, how good is Taywan Taylor? I think his floor is similar to Kendall Wright, as much as I hate to admit that. I know that Titans fans have a bad taste in their mouth with Kendall Wright after logging 11 games in the 2016 season with only 416 yards. A guy that was drafted 20th overall back in 2012. Wright was also a guy that recorded 18 touchdowns as a Titan, with six in one season. In my opinion, Taylor is a better route runner and faster than Wright. If Taywan Taylor can consistently get the Titans five to eight touchdowns a year, along with around 700 yards, I think the Titans got a lot of bang for their buck.
Let’s talk ceiling. I think if Taywan Taylor is utilized to his utmost potential, he could be a Nelson Agholor. Agholor had 762 receiving yards and eight touchdowns for the Philadelphia Eagles last year. Agholor and Taylor favor each other in size as well with Agholor being 6’0” and 198 pounds while Taylor is 5’11” and 203 pounds.
Taylor has been the most impressive wide receiver thus far. Pump the brakes, I’m not saying he’s better than Corey Davis, but he has definitely been more available than Davis in his first year and some change. The only way to make an impact is to be healthy and on the field, and Taylor has done just that. Taylor can be a nice complimentary player next to Davis, just as Agholor is to Alshon Jeffery.
Watch out for number 13 in the two-toned blue.
