Why the Trent Taylor Hype Train is Real
49ers wide receiver Trent Taylor is looking like a stud in training camp.
I had to see it for my own eyes when I attended camp on Tuesday, and boy did he have himself a day.
If Dante Pettis was the MVP of that day, Taylor was a close second. He looks fast, shifty, and polished when operating out of the slot. It really is a thing of beauty to watch him excel out there. There was one play on Tuesday during which Jimmie Ward was tasked with guarding him and he just absolutely left him in the dust.
Now I understand why the Trent Taylor hype train is real.
This is a guy who looks poised to make an immediate impact in the passing game. He’s not a game-breaking player like Deebo Samuel, but the way he looks right now would tremendously soften the blow if Samuel is out Week 1.
One thing that must not be overlooked is his rapport with Jimmy Garoppolo. In weeks 13-17 of the 2017 season, Taylor ranked 16th in yards per route run by Pro Football Focus (h/t David Lombardi of The Athletic). That was when Garoppolo got his five starts with the 49ers and immediately built an on-field relationship with Taylor. You would think that essentially two years apart from playing consistently with each other would put a damper on their efficiency.
However, these two have clearly looked the most in sync out there in training camp.
It looks like it was perfectly choreographed, which just echoes how strongly they play with each other. And even though Pettis was the playmaker on Tuesday, Garoppolo wasn’t consistently hitting him on timely throws like he was with Taylor.
2019 was nothing but an injury plagued season for Taylor. Now he has his sights set on making up for it in 2020. The main variable that is going to be constantly brought up is how healthy is he? And can he sustain it?
That is always an issue with players who suffer injuries within the last year or two. Just look at Jalen Hurd. The hype surrounding him was enormous and now he has suffered another season-ending injury. Some players are just outright injury prone.
Will Taylor fall into that category?
I hope not, because I am fully aboard the Taylor hype train this season.
