Raiders Draft 2024: Trey Taylor may outplay his draft status

Unsettled depth at safety and special teams gives seventh-round pick opportunity to seize role

The Las Vegas Raiders added one Jim Thorpe Award winner — given to the best defensive back in college football — with the 43rd overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by selecting Tre’von Moehrig. The Silver & Black added yet another by snaring Trey Taylor with the 223rd overall pick in this year’s rendition of the draft.

Like his higher drafted fellow Thorpe winner, Taylor was left college as a productive safety that created takeaways in coverage and was a disruptive as a run defender at Air Force. The 6-foot, 210-pound Texas native was the first Falcon to win the Jim Thorpe honor and arrives to Las Vegas with a reputation as an instinctive, strong, and determined defensive back.

While Moehrig has developed into a starter at safety alongside veteran Marcus Epps, the depth behind the two starters is a bit unsettled. As are the special teams units, which gives Taylor a great opportunity to showcase his talents and potentially outplay his seventh-round draft status.

Closing out his collegiate stint at Air Force with 74 total tackles, three interceptions (one a 30-yard pick six), and four passes defensed, Taylor finished with 205 total tackles (120 solo), 11 stops for loss, 2.5 sacks, six interceptions, 13 pass deflections, and one forced fumble. That kind of production is what the Raiders secondary needs more of and that’ll get Taylor some looks on defense.

But where Taylor is likeliest to cut his teeth early on in his pro career is special teams.

He was a mainstay on punt coverages his last three seasons at Air Force and Las Vegas needs more youth and quality talent for special teams coordinator Tom McMahon’s coverage units. With his size, strength, and length, Taylor has the ideal size to become a core special teamer who can mix in as a defender as he develops his pro game.

The urgency Taylor displays when attacking the line of scrimmage as a run defender as well as his ability to get around or through blocks will serve him well in the NFL if he can transition that from Air Force to the Raiders. That kind of downhill attack and “no one gets in my way” mentality is what makes coverage units impact ones and that’s an innate trait that Taylor brings to the table. He’s physical and willing to deliver hits and the pop he has on his tackles is both audible and visually striking.

Yet, why was a productive safety and Jim Thorpe Award recipient even available until the 223rd pick in the final stanza of the draft?

While Taylor does display high football instincts and ball skills, his deep and long speed is in question. He’s quick to react and get to a play due to instincts but Taylor ran a 4.59-second 40-yard dash at the Air Force pro day, which likely gave the other 31 NFL teams pause on selecting him before the Raiders plucked him from the pool of prospects. Even with the instincts and impressive intelligence, character, and leadership (both off and on the field), the speed to keep up and accelerate with pro-caliber athletes can scare away many teams.

But for the Raiders, Taylor was ripe for the picking with the first of their two seventh-round selections.

“You can see why he was successful in college,” Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said of Taylor during his rookie minicamp press conference. “I think he has a great opportunity to help us, especially in the kicking game. But when you look at him physically, I mean he’s a specimen. I mean he’s a good-looking prospect. It’s good to get him in the building, glad to have him here. Great smile, good personality, a really good fit for us.”

Taylor put up an impressive 22 reps on the 225-pound bench press at Air Force’s pro day and Las Vegas is banking on coaching from safeties coach Gerald Alexander, defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, and assistant head coach Marvin Lewis shoring up deficiencies in the safety’s game. Taylor can both overshoot and undershoot his pursuit angles and has a tendency to arm tackle instead of finish properly. Both of which can be detrimental as both defender and special teamer.

Taylor does join a crowded safety room that has Moehrig and Epps the likely starting duo. Isaiah Pola-Mao is a taller safety at 6-foot-4 and enters his third year while Chris Smith II, a 2023 fifth-round pick, enters his second season. Like Taylor, Smith was a productive Georgia safety who produced takeaways but ran a slow 40 at 4.62. Undrafted free agents Jaydon Grant and Phalen Sanford round out the safeties in Las Vegas.

Thus, Taylor has a lot of proving to do to earn a roster or practice squad spot. The surest way to earn a gig though is by proving special teams value.

Of Note: Like fellow Raiders safety Isaiah Pola-Mao, Taylor is related to royal NFL safeties. Pola-Mao’s uncle is hall of fame safety Troy Polamalu while Taylor’s cousin (by marriage) is hall of fame safety Ed Reed. So it was no surprise to see the Baltimore Ravens use one of their top 30 visits on Taylor.