Jason Taylor II, S Oklahoma State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Taylor was a three-star recruit from Carl Albert High School in Midwest City, Okla. in the class of 2018

The 2023 safety class isn’t getting enough credit. It’s a deep group with plenty of role players, including Oklahoma State’s Jason Taylor II. Taylor intercepted six passes in 2022 and projects as a Day 3 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

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Jason Taylor II, S Oklahoma State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt senior safety from Oklahoma City, Okla.

Background: Taylor was a three-star recruit from Carl Albert High School in Midwest City, Okla. in the class of 2018. He was the No. 807 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 2,572 for On3.com. Taylor was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 75 grade out of 100. He committed to Oklahoma State over offers from Memphis, SMU, and Tulsa. Taylor won his second Class 5A State Championship with Carl Albert in 2017 when the team went 14-0. He was the 2017 OKPreps Class 5A Player of the Year after snagging 42 receptions for nearly 800 yards and 14 touchdowns on offense and intercepting nine passes on defense. Taylor amassed 72 tackles, a sack, and four interceptions when Carl Albert also won the state title in 2016. He earned All-State and district MVP honors as a senior. The two-way football player also competed on the basketball team. Taylor’s sister (Ja’Lynn Taylor) played volleyball at Langston, and his father (Jason Taylor Sr.) played on the defensive line at Langston. Taylor II was born on Dec. 30, 1999.

2022 Production: 13 games, 99 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1 fumble recovery, 6 interceptions, 7 passes defensed

2021 Production: 14 games, 48 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 2 interceptions, 4 passes defensed, 1 defensive touchdown

2020 Production: 11 games, 12 tackles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 defensive touchdown

2019 Production: 13 games, 16 tackles

2018 Production: 3 games (Redshirt Year)

Injuries & Off-Field: Suffered a leg injury against Texas (2022) but didn’t miss time

Awards: 2020 Second-Team Academic All-Big 12, 2021 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Coaches)

Pros: Special teams experience on the kick return, kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units, experience playing in the slot, box, and traditional two-high alignments, NFL Combine testing confirmed his explosiveness, arm length, excellent closing burst, ball production, ball tracking, impressive ball skills, physical at the catch point to pry the ball loose, plays ball well when allowed to survey the whole field, anticipates and recognizes route combinations, speed helps him undercut routes, reads the quarterback’s eyes, natural feel for where the ball is going, willing to come downhill and lay a big hit, never penalized in college

Cons: Age, short-area agility and change of direction skills are uninspiring, lacks sideline-to-sideline range, ability to mirror sharp cuts is limited, better linear athlete than all-around mover, pulled downhill by play action or ball fakes, flat-footed at times when in man assignments, shouldn’t be tasked with man coverage against slot receivers or athletic tight ends, could show more urgency and take better angles coming downhill, takes angles too steep to the ball carrier, occasionally slips off tackle attempts, dragged for yards after contact, his feet stop moving and he dives low for tackles which leads to misses

Overview: Taylor took official measurements at the NFLPA Bowl. He’s 5117 and weighs 208 lbs. He has 9 5/8-inch hands, 33-inch arms, and a 78-inch wingspan. Taylor has special teams experience on the kick return, kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units. He lined up in the slot, box, and traditional two-high alignments at Oklahoma State. The redshirt senior has excellent arm length and confirmed his explosive athleticism at the NFL Scouting Combine. He displays ideal closing burst. Taylor had terrific ball production in his final season with the Cowboys. His ball tracking skills are impressive. Taylor is physical at the catch point to force incompletions. He’s at his best when allowed to sit back and survey the whole field. The former three-star recruit anticipates where the ball is going and recognizes route combinations. He reads the quarterback’s eyes and has the speed to undercut routes. Taylor is instinctive, with a natural feel for where the ball is going. He comes downhill and lays big hits in run defense. Taylor doesn’t shy away from contact but could show more urgency and take better angles coming downhill. He occasionally slips off tackle attempts or is dragged for yards after contact. He’ll often stop his feet too early and then dive low at the ball carrier’s legs, missing the opportunity to make a stop. Taylor is an older prospect who lacks impressive short-area agility and change of direction skills. He doesn’t have sideline-to-sideline range or the ability to mirror sharp cuts in coverage. The Oklahoma native is a better linear athlete than all-around agile player. He gets pulled downhill by play action or ball fakes, leading to big plays over the top. Taylor sometimes approaches man coverage assignments flat-footed. He lacks the coverage profile to handle slot receivers or athletic tight ends.

Overall, Taylor is a special teams ace who thrives on his physicality and instincts, but he doesn’t possess a well-rounded coverage profile. Taylor’s upside in run defense and muscular build suggest he could survive playing closer to the line of scrimmage, but his coverage instincts are best maximized in deep zones.

Role & Scheme Fit: Strong safety in a two-high scheme

Round Projection: Late Fifth to Mid Sixth

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 03-04-23