June 07, 2020

Eagles rookie NFL player comparisons: Davion Taylor

By Jimmy Kempski
PhillyVoice Staff

During this dead period of the offseason, we'll be comparing each of the Eagles' rookies to current NFL players. Previously, we started with Jalen Reagor and Jalen Hurts. Today we'll find a comp for third-round linebacker Davion Taylor.

With Reagor and Hurts, we found comps that were probably closer to their respective ceilings. With Taylor, we'll comp him to a player that's closer to his floor, in Washington LB Kevin Pierre-Louis.

In 2014, the Seahawks drafted Pierre-Louis in the fourth round, and while he has survived, heading into his seventh year in the league, he will be on his fifth team in as many years. Both Pierre-Louis and Taylor did not have impressive production in college, but they both got drafted relatively early because of their athleticism. A comparison of their measurables:

Measurable	Davion Taylor	Kevin Pierre-Louis
Height	6'0	6'0
Weight	228	232
Arm length	32 1/8"	32 1/4"
40 yard dash	4.49	4.51
3-cone	6.96	6.92
Vertical jump	35"	39"
Broad jump	127"	128"
Bench press	21	28

As you can see, both Taylor and Pierre-Louis are undersized linebackers with a lot of speed. Pierre-Louis has carved out a career as a plus special teamer, and that is how Taylor is likely to contribute as a rookie for the Eagles.

Pierre-Louis got his first taste of action as a starter last season with the Bears, and he played well, particularly in coverage. The Eagles are well aware that Taylor is a project, especially given he hasn't played much football, as religious beliefs kept him off the field until his mother finally allowed him to play in college.

You can see Pierre-Louis' explosiveness from the 2019 season here:

And Taylor's here:

Davion Taylor, LB, Colorado-

Raw high upside prospect that did not start playing football until college. He is a track star at LB. High motor player that has excellent range. Perfect hybrid LB/S at the next level. He is physical/tough. When everything clicks he looks very good pic.twitter.com/Xv2HebbvXj
— Ryder (@RyderM25) March 26, 2020