Pro Day Preview: UTEP OLB Jadrian Taylor “You don’t see too many guys at 240 in the 4.3s.”
Pro Days are coming.
The next venue on the NFL Draft calendar is approaching. There were 319 players invited to the NFL Combine. The tiny percentage of the chosen few leaves the rest of the draft-eligible prospects leaning heavily on showcasing their own talents on their Pro Day.
Two-time All-CUSA selection Jadrian Taylor from UTEP is vigorously training as the weeks will quickly turn to days before his March 21st Pro Day for the Miners. The JUCO product began his career at Kilgore College in Texas after receiving no offers out of high school.
“Honestly, I would say my speed,” Taylor said about what will get him noticed. “You don’t see too many guys at 240 in the 4.3s.”
Registering 11.5 tackles for loss along with 9.5 sacks, the 6-foot-1 and 245-pound outside linebacker became the focal point of the Miners' defense over the last two seasons. It took time, and Taylor had to earn everything he has achieved thus far before he was counted on at both Kilgore and UTEP.
He walked on at Kilgore and slowly had to earn the trust of the coaching staff and eventually became their star pass-rushing before heading off the UTEP. It wasn’t grades nor trouble that held Taylor up in high school. He was stuck behind four senior defensive linemen in his junior year, which kept him from getting the time needed to attract college recruiters.
The next set of recruiters he’ll face go about their business under a different title. They are called NFL Scouts and their recruitment to the NFL can materialize for Taylor if he executes the numbers that are popping during his workouts.
“We did a Mock Pro Day with my trainer,” Taylor said in preparation for his upcoming Pro Day. “4.38 and 4.43.”
If the plan goes accordingly, Taylor is surely going to attract the attention that eluded him in high school.
Ready. Set. Launch.
