5th Round Cooper Taylor, Safety

[Mr. P]

Ohm Youngmisuk ‏@NotoriousOHM 2m

Cooper Taylor has size... a 6-4, 228-pound safety.

[Bigblue25]

I had us taken him in round six, was hoping for Jefferson or him at this spot. I love it.

[mastershake]

At his Pro Day, scouts were also working him out as an LB. Looks like he can be a hybrid type.

[Bigblue25]

At his Pro Day, scouts were also working him out as an LB. Looks like he can be a hybrid type.

 

Heard comparasions to Kam Chancellor, whose one of the best S in the NFL

[BleedinBlue]

Tools

Taylor has massive size for the safety position being 6'5" 228. He ran an impressive 4.55 40 considering the fact that he has almost 30 pounds on the average defensive back.

However, Taylor has been diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome because of his fast heartbeat, which caused him to miss significant time at Georgia Tech and eventually led to his transfer. NFL teams will certainly do their due-diligence and give him a thorough medical evaluation before investing in Taylor on draft day.

 

Strengths

 

The first thing to notice with Taylor is just how big he is, especially for a small school safety. He is large enough to potentially make a move to linebacker. He is reminiscent of Virginia Tech safety Kam Chancellor with his great size and explosiveness.

 

Taylor was one of the most impressive players during the East-West Shrine Game practices, as coaches commented on his great footwork and decisiveness. He also showed better-than-expected athleticism, showing great natural movement in his large frame. (via Dane Brugler of NFLDraftScout.com).

 

He also has the production to go along with his physical tools, with four interceptions in limited time in his senior season at Richmond. His size and underrated speed gives him the ability to cover tight ends.

 

There are two primary reasons as to why Taylor is not getting nearly as much publicity as his skills may indicate, with his heart condition chief among them. While he was eventually given a clean bill of health, any kind of medical issue this serious is going to cause plenty of concern for NFL teams.

 

He will also have to fight the small-school label during the draft process, but the fact that he did play on a more well-known program at Georgia Tech should help his cause.

 

 

Future Role/Scheme Versatility

 

While his medical concerns are going to limit how high he will be drafted, Taylor has potential to play a variety of positions and roles for any team that is willing to take a chance on him.

 

His size suggests that he would be best-suited as a strong safety who can be aggressive against the run while playing in a deeper zone, reading and reacting to the ball;a very similar role to the player he is often compared to, Kam Chancellor of the Seattle Seahawks. He has the makings of an excellent rookie special teams player.

 

There is also the possibility that with by adding an extra 10 pounds, he would make a terrific weak-side linebacker chasing down plays and flowing to the ball. In either case, as long as he can stay healthy, the sky is the limit for what Cooper can do for an NFL team.

[JMFP]

So a safety that has Charles Nelson Reilly syndrome ?..... Sweet.

[BlueInCanada]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pfqOxxAxso

 

Fuck he's big, I think we how much Fewell likes having a safety who can play down in the box as a LB this kid fits the bill.

[Allstarjim]

At this point, it's finally a pick I don't hate.

[Allstarjim]

But I'm still loving Ty Powell, haven't seen him drafted yet, hopefully he falls to the 7th

[JMFP]

Seriously for a change:

 

If Cooper can stay healthy, and he and Moore are converted (in Moore's case, switched back) to linebacker, the draft makes more sense.

 

Moore was once a linebacker, and his stats (250lb) allow for him to easily slide over into the pass-rushing linebacker mold that we once envisioned for Sintim before he tore his knees up.

 

Cooper has the size to easily be a linebacker, or else thrive as the run-stopping safety that Fewell used in his 4-2-5 packages.

 

But Cooper's heart condition is not something to just blow off.....he could be a great pick, or he miss alot of time if his heart condition flares up again. I'm sure that's why he dropped so low in the draft despite his physical stats.

[Allstarjim]

We still need a MLB for the future, and depth behind Connor. I don't believe Herzlich is the answer.

[mastershake]

Seriously for a change:

 

If Cooper can stay healthy, and he and Moore are converted (in Moore's case, switched back) to linebacker, the draft makes more sense.

 

Moore was once a linebacker, and his stats (250lb) allow for him to easily slide over into the pass-rushing linebacker mold that we once envisioned for Sintim before he tore his knees up.

 

Cooper has the size to easily be a linebacker, or else thrive as the run-stopping safety that Fewell used in his 4-2-5 packages.

 

But Cooper's heart condition is not something to just blow off.....he could be a great pick, or he miss alot of time if his heart condition flares up again. I'm sure that's why he dropped so low in the draft despite his physical stats.

 

I've heard he has a heart condition... but what condition is it?

[JMFP]

I've heard he has a heart condition... but what condition is it?

 

Fast heartbeat, and missed significant time because of it.

[JMFP]

We still need a MLB for the future, and depth behind Connor. I don't believe Herzlich is the answer.

 

There's no sugarcoating it....MLB is the weak spot of the defense, and it will continue to be exploited by other teams.

 

More generally, the Giants do not have a linebacker that can shed a tackle. For all the glowing talk about J-Will, unless he is chasing someone down from behind, he is not a threat.

 

There isn't a guy at the position that can blow up a blocking scheme.....maybe Moore becomes that guy, or maybe this Cooper kid.

[Allstarjim]

V, in Bleedin's post.

[RandolphScott]

Moore is not going to be a linebacker. Stop this nonsense

[JMFP]

Moore is not going to be a linebacker. Stop this nonsense

 

He played 2 of his 3 years in college as pass rushing linebacker. It's not an unfamiliar position.

 

I understand he's going to be rushing the passer. My point is that he can do that with his hand on the ground (DL) or standing up (OLB).

[Bigblue25]

 

 

He played 2 of his 3 years in college as pass rushing linebacker. It's not an unfamiliar position.

 

I understand he's going to be rushing the passer. My point is that he can do that with his hand on the ground (DL) or standing up (OLB).

 

In the "bandit" position for a 3-4 D.

[BleedinBlue]

 

 

I've heard he has a heart condition... but what condition is it?

 

Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, same thing my ex-wife ended up getting. Instead of one little "cell" (for lack of a better word) that sends signals to your heart and causes it to beat, there are two. Therefore, sometimes when they get out of sync, you get twice as fast a heart beat. You can have it fixed by going in surgically and burning and killing off one of the little triggers and hope the hell you don't kill off both (because they are close together). In my ex's case, she uses medication and it controls it just fine. She's afraid to take the chance to have one of the sensors burned and killed off because she thinks she won't survive...even though success rate is really high.

 

I'm sure the Giants medical staff have done their due diligence and know exactly what they are dealing with. If they gave it the green light, there should be nothing to worry about. He would've never fallen this late should he not had that condition.

[Allstarjim]

At this point in the draft, there is always a question mark with a player, so getting a Safety with this size at this point is great.

[JackStroud]

The Syndrome sometime results in sudden Cardiac Death............this is worrisome

[BleedinBlue]

The Syndrome sometime results in sudden Cardiac Death............this is worrisome

Provided one doesn't seek medical care or bothered to have it corrected. According to reports, he had corrective surgery and has been given a complete medical clearance to play ball.

 

It would have been a problem if he ignored it and didn't bother receiving help. The Giants medical staff must have been okay with him to have given the team the green light to go get him. The front office is not an office of fools throwing money away at players they think might die on them.

[JackStroud]

I did not realize he had the radio surgery

That's a relief

Thanks

[Nas]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pfqOxxAxso

 

Fuck he's big, I think we how much Fewell likes having a safety who can play down in the box as a LB this kid fits the bill.

 

Love it.

[BleedinBlue]

The more I read on this guy, the more I like this pick as good as any we had.

 

The most intriguing prospect in the New York Giants' 2013 NFL Draft class might just be Cooper Taylor, the Richmond safety selected in the fifth round. Cooper is a humongous safety at 6-foot-4 3/4, 228 pounds. He also probably has the best back story of any of the players selected by the Giants.

 

"We think we got a hidden gem there," said Giants Director of College Scouting Marc Ross. "This guy is big, fast, smart, plays the game the right way. He did a lot of things for Richmond. They lined him up at multiple positions. You'll see him in the box; you'll see him back deep. He covers the slot. Productive there. He transferred from Georgia Tech, but we think this guy has got a lot of upside. Sent our (secondary-safeties) coach (David) Merritt down there to work him out -- a private workout -- and he was really impressed by him. We had him in for a visit. The kid is really smart. Loves football, so we think he has a ton of upside."

 

The Times Dispatch also noted that the Giants have a Richmond connection in defensive coordinator Bob Trott, who was a defensive assistant with the Giants in 1991 and 1992.

 

Here is part of what Trott told the Times Dispatch about Taylor:

 

"Quite frankly, some NFL teams like big safeties, and some of them don't" Trott said. "I would love to coach him in the NFL. My experiences, with the safeties I've had, I'll take him any day. ... He has got the intangibles. He'll do really, really well on an NFL team."

 

Taylor is primarily a safety, but does have experience dropping down to play outside linebacker. With the Giants' fondness for using a three-safety set, something defensive coordinator Perry Fewell began a few seasons ago with Deon Grant, Taylor could be a perfect fit for the Giants' defense.

 

"As soon as it becomes second and long, everybody changes anyway. You're gonna see either a 4-2-5 or a 4-1-6 package, depending on the quality of your people that you can bring down. He is certainly a candidate for one of those spots. Although with his range, you think you'd want to be attracted to him staying in the middle of the field but we'll see," head coach Tom Coughlin said Monday on WFAN.

 

Taylor joins a group of safeties that is led by starters Antrel Rolle and Stevie Brown. He will compete for a backup spot with Will Hill, Ryan Mundy and Tyler Sash.

 

"He is a safety by trade but you drop him down in that three-safety package or whatever you want to do in terms of -- you substitute a defense whether he plays an outside backer or whatever. That is all going to have to be determined when we get him in here. We are hoping that he is going to come in and apply all of the tools that he has right away there in the secondary for us."

 

At Richmond's pro day, Taylor ran 4.49 40-yard dash, had a 36 1/2-inch vertical jump, 10-foot-7 broad jump, posted a 4.29 in the short-shuttle, 6.96 in the three-cone and hammered out 23 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.

 

General manager Jerry Reese called Taylor a "big size-speed safety that we think has a really nice upside. I can envision him honestly on special teams with that size and speed. I can envision him being that third safety in some the three-safety looks that Perry Fewell likes to use. A big, tough guy, we like his skill set."

 

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From CBS: "Plays with excellent aggression and physicality. Decisive in his decision making and shows a good burst, arriving to the play quickly and ready to blow up the ball carrier. Better than expected athleticism for his size, and flows to the action while breaking down on the move. Did an excellent job at the Shrine Game of digesting the coaches' instructions and applying them immediately, always appearing focused and zoned in on what is going on around him."

 

From NFL.com: "His official position will be strong safety, but he's one of those guys who could possibly bulk up and play outside linebacker. Reminiscent of Kam Chancellor of the Seattle Seahawks"

 

From NFLDraftScout.com "With his size and strength, he is an enforcer against the run but he also showed the range and athleticism to be effective in coverage as well as the football intelligence to digest a lot of coaching all at once".