The 2024 NFL Draft is here, making it an excellent time to highlight some of the class' best players with scouting reports. Each report will include strengths, weaknesses and background information.
Here's our report on Dadrion Taylor-Demerson.
Taylor-Demerson is one of the most multi-dimensional safety prospects in the 2024 draft class. He is one of the best overall with his alignment versatility and traits profile. Taylor-Demerson can play in two-shell coverage concepts and has the loose hips to transition easily and change directions. He also has the play speed and range to play post safety in addition to playing slot corner in off-coverage and press man.
Taylor-Demerson played with high-level competitiveness. What consistently stood out was his play speed and pursuit range to make plays sideline to sideline. His physical toughness showed up as a tackler.
One question teams will have is whether he is almost exclusively a back-end safety, playing single-high and two-shell coverages, or whether he can match up to wide receivers in the slot in twins and trips formations. That determination will go a long way in projecting his value and deployment. If he can match wide receivers in the slot, he becomes a high-value piece in an NFL defense.
Overall, Taylor-Demerson’s 2023 tape showed a multi-positional and multi-dimensional safety with the versatility to play on the back end with play speed and range. His hip fluidity and easy transitions allow him to match wide receivers in the slot. He can also make plays in the run game with his downhill support and competitive toughness.
Taylor-Demerson played five years at Texas Tech, becoming a full-time starter in his sophomore season of 2021. He made 32 starts in his final three seasons. He came out of high school in Oklahoma City as a running back and transitioned to safety in his first year at Texas Tech.
Taylor-Demerson predominantly aligned to the field in split-safety coverages. He also played significant snaps at post-safety and aligned over the slot. There were snaps he matched up man-to-man on slot wide receivers No. 2 to twins and No.3 to trips. There were also snaps he was deployed as a blitzer off the slot. He got some snaps aligned as an overhang defender just outside the box.
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