Inside The Vikings

Vikings Sign Former 49ers Defensive Tackle Jullian Taylor to One-Year Deal

Taylor hasn't played over the past two seasons after tearing his ACL in 2019.
Will Ragatz|
Vikings Sign Former 49ers Defensive Tackle Jullian Taylor to One-Year Deal
Vikings Sign Former 49ers Defensive Tackle Jullian Taylor to One-Year Deal

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Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings have signed former 49ers defensive tackle Jullian Taylor to a one-year deal, the team announced on Thursday afternoon.

This is an interesting pickup. Taylor hasn't played over the past two seasons after tearing his ACL in December 2019, making him a major reclamation project. If he's able to make the team and contribute, it would be an incredible comeback story.

Taylor had a breakout season as a senior at Temple in 2017, recording 11 tackles for loss. He was drafted by the 49ers in the seventh round in 2018 — back when Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was in San Francisco's front office. Taylor impressed enough in training camp and the preseason to make the 53-man roster as a rookie. He appeared in the final six games of the season, picking up four pressures and seven tackles in 101 snaps.

In 2019, Taylor once again saw action in six games and continued to show flashes. He played another 101 defensive snaps, recording nine tackles (four for loss), three pressures, a pass breakup, and a fumble recovery. But then he tore his ACL in late December and hasn't been able to get into an NFL game since.

Taylor was on the 49ers' Physically Unable to Perform list in 2020, but was waived with a failed physical that November. He spent time with the Titans last offseason, but was waived in June.

Now he'll make another attempt to return to the NFL and stick around. Since being waived by Tennessee, Taylor has continued to work towards getting another shot like this.

He faces an uphill battle to make the Vikings' roster, but Taylor might still have some upside. He was a great athlete coming out of Temple, and tearing his ACL didn't completely rob him of that athleticism. Taylor showed flashes of penetration ability from the interior during his time with the 49ers, both in the preseason and the regular season. He has a quick first step and powerful hands at 6'5", 280 pounds. Adofo-Mensah clearly thinks highly enough of Taylor from their time working together to give him this opportunity.

As a former seventh-rounder who hasn't played in two years, this deal is almost assuredly for the veteran's minimum. We'll see if Taylor can put together a remarkable comeback and earn a spot on the Vikings' roster or practice squad this year.

Taylor joins a defensive tackle room with the Vikings that isn't particularly deep in terms of proven talent. Harrison Phillips, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Armon Watts are the top three players. Taylor will be competing with guys like James Lynch, Jaylen Twyman, T.Y. McGill, T.J. Smith, Jordon Scott, and rookies for a spot on the team.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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