With the No. 166 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers have selected cornerback Keith Taylor from Washington.
Taylor is the first pick the Panthers have made so far that isn’t a RAS superstar, but still not a slouch turning in at 7.15 for a cornerback.
Keith Taylor has good length (6-2) and decent speed (4.5). Only had 10 PBUs and 0 INTs in 43 games (19 starts) at Washington, but allowed only 43.4 completion rate and two TDs, per @dpbrugler.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) May 1, 2021
What jumps out about him is his “modern NFL” size and length, and his ability in press man coverage, which is clearly something the Panthers are going to be looking for in a corner prospect more often as that is Jaycee Horn’s specialty too. Taylor had an excellent Senior Bowl performance, and due to the involvement of Matt Rhule and his staff, it is likely they got an extended look at him during that time and really liked what they saw from him. Taylor stays aggressive at the line of scrimmage and makes a concerted effort to get a receiver off their spot and disrupt the timing of the play. Buying just that little bit of extra time will be key for the Panthers pass rush.
Poll
What grade do you give the Panthers for this pick?
This poll is closed
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51%
A
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31%
B
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10%
C
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3%
D
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3%
F