Keith Taylor, Washington Huskies.
The NFL draft is an important time for Washington Huskies football. It always hurts to lose good players, but the Dawgs and their fans can celebrate their alumni headed to play at the highest level of professional football.
Placing more players in the NFL is some of the best advertising Washington Huskies Head Coach Jimmy Lake has when courting recruits. Last year a pair of Huskies were selected in the NFL Draft, quarterback Jacob Eason (fourth round, 122nd overall, Indianapolis), and center Nick Harris (fifth round, 160th overall, Cleveland. All totaled 34 Washington Huskies alumni were either on NFL rosters or practice squads in 2020.
Due to COVID-19, this year’s pre-draft process is much different. Instead of the normal combine where NFL hopefuls spend three days in Indianapolis, all player measurements and evaluations occur at individual college pro days. Washington’s pro day is Tuesday, March 30. Unfortunately, Ohio State and Texas A&M are on the same day, so UW players won’t have scouts’ undivided attention.
This year at least four players Huskies should get drafted. Pacific Northwest Sports audited 28 different mock drafts to see where the quartet might go in the draft, including ESPN, USA Today, NFL, CBS Sports, Walter Football, and more. Fourteen of the mocks went two rounds; five covered Rounds 1-5.
In this edition, we focus on the cornerback duo of Elijah Molden and Keith Taylor. Both played four seasons at UW. Each had an opportunity to come back for a fifth season. Instead, the pair decided to turn pro. Let’s see what the mock drafters think.
Washington only played four games last year, but it was enough for Elijah Molden to earn All-Pac-12 First Team honors. Pro Football Focus named him the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and a Second Team All-American.
Molden played mostly inside during his tenure at UW. Ideally, he plays the same role in the NFL. Although smaller than most teams would like, Molden plays with instincts beyond his years. He also doesn’t shy away from contact. That makes him an ideal slot or nickel corner as a professional.
NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein compares Molden to Tyrann Mathieu. If he has a career anything close to the Honey Badger’s three all-pro selections and a Super Bowl ring in seven seasons, Molden will be a happy man.
“Molden is a smart player who sees things with impressive quickness. He can diagnose plays preemptively with his awareness of alignments and motions, and he also has the quick reaction ability to divert course mid-play. Molden’s processing enables him to remain one step ahead.” – Ian Cummings, Pro Football Network.
Molden is a borderline first-round talent. It’s not likely he goes on Day 1, but certainly not out of the question. In the 14 mocks we audited, half of them predict Molden’s selection in Round 3. A good showing at his pro day could vault him up the draft boards.
One of the more intriguing mock drafts has Molden going to the Seattle Seahawks in the second round. A whole lot has to happen for Seattle to draft a cornerback that early. But seeing Molden stick around the Emerald City would be great.
According to the mock results, Houston and Atlanta are his most likely destinations. Wherever Molden lands, he can look forward to a long professional career.
While at UW, Taylor mostly played coverage corner on the outside. He did move inside for multi-defensive back sets. So he has experience covering the slot. Taylor has the length to cover receivers that NFL teams love and the willingness to play press coverage. He’s also willing to come up on the run either make plays or force rushers inside.
As mentioned, Taylor likes to play physical against his man. If that doesn’t stop a speedy receiver, he can get lost. Also, for a guy who covers so well (10 passes defended in 29 games), Taylor didn’t have any college interceptions.
If there is a difference of opinion on Molden, then it’s fair to say that no one has a handle on where Taylor may wind up or when he’s selected. On the one hand, NFL.com’s Chad Reuter has him as a top-50 pick while, on the other, DJ Boyer from Rotoballer thinks Taylor isn’t in the top-215.
The answer probably lies in the middle, likely somewhere between the late third and early fifth rounds. Any later than that, some team gets a steal.
“Overall, Taylor will fit in well with a zone press team and he can execute man coverage against some NFL receivers, but certain, quicker, ones will pose an issue at times. He has all the measurables teams are looking for, and enough athletic ability to intrigue, but his lack of ball production may be an issue.” – Nick Falato, Sports Illustrated.
Where do you think the two former University of Washington defensive backs will go in the NFL draft? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.