The field workouts at the NFL combine are the visible aspect of the process, but for many franchises around the league, the team interviews are more important part than the field workout. Players can climb if they interview well or get themselves ruled out with poor interviews. One talented player who needs to ace the interviews is Miami defensive tackle Leonard Taylor. Team sources from around the NFL said that while Taylor has a nice skill set, they had given him a late-round grade because of his football character.
Sources said Taylor has a bad work ethic and doesn’t love football. That’s what they shared they saw, and it sounds like that was confirmed in conversations with staff from Miami. Taylor flashed as a freshman and sophomore with the Hurricanes, but he did not play up to his skill set. In 2023, he recorded 20 tackles and one sack. That was after recording 24 tackles and three sacks during 2022. At 6-foot-3, 305 pounds, Taylor has good quickness and athleticism to go with pro size.
There are plenty of teams in the NFL that are in the market for defensive tackle help, and it can be difficult to find quick interior defensive linemen. Hence, I have Taylor sneaking into Day 2 of my latest 2024 NFL Mock Draft. However, Taylor could easily slide. Some teams have given him late-round grades based on his football character, and a number of sources said they think their teams might drop him off their boards before the 2024 NFL Draft.
