Jaguars’ RT Jawaan Taylor Ended Rookie Season With a Notable Snap Count
When right tackle Jawaan Taylor fell out of the first-round of the 2019 NFL Draft due to medical concerns, the Jacksonville Jaguars didn't hesistate to take advantage. 16 games later, any of medical concerns have been dissmissed as well.
Jacksonville executed a trade with the Raiders for Oakland's second-round pick at No. 35 overall on Day 2 of the draft as Taylor, a projected top-10 pick, continued to tumble. The Jaguars also acquired the Raiders' fifth-round and seventh-round selections in exchange for No. 38 overall pick and a fourth-rounder.
Jacksonville was agressive moving up for the right tackle out of the Univeristy of Florida, and Taylor made his mark as a rookie, becoming an ironman performer.
Taylor played all 1,091 snaps for the Jaguars' offense in 2019, one of only two players to do so (along with left guard Andrew Norwell). The fact that Taylor did this a few months after teams reportedly had durability issues about him is encourgain in of itself, but it goes deeper than that.
For instance, Taylor is the first Jaguars' offensive rookie to start all 16 games in a season sicne offensive lineman Maurice Williams did it in 2001.
That is an 18-year difference, which is made even more staggering when you consider several of the Jaguars' top picks in that span have been offensive lineman, including first-round offensive tackles Eugene Monroe and Luke Joeckel. Taylor did something they never did.
Not only was Taylor starting all 16 games for Jacksonville an achievement, but he ended up being the only rookie in the entire NFL to play 100% of his unit's snaps in 2019. This includes six first-round offensive lineman who were drafted before Taylor. Taylor was the lone ironman rookie in the entire league in 2019, a testamanet to his durability.
"I do believe with the way he goes about it, the way he works, if he continues on the path, I think he will be a very, very good football player," Jaguars' head coach Doug Marrone said last week. "I really believe that. I think that some of the things with the penalties, if he can clean that up -- and that is really just being in better position – I think he’s a heck of a football player. He has done well.”
