Green Bay Packers: Aaron Taylor an intriguing safety prospect
By Hunter Noll
The Green Bay Packers may have added an undrafted gem to their needing secondary in safety Aaron Taylor.
Every year, some players slip through the cracks of the NFL draft. Despite great talent and upside, they don’t hear their name called. Safety Aaron Taylor just so happens to be one of those players, and the Green Bay Packers scooped him up as a free agent. What makes him so intriguing?
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Taylor spent five years at Ball State University. After redshirting his first year, he saw a bigger role each season. By his senior year, Taylor was a starting linebacker. He was second on the team in tackles (85) and first in tackles for loss (11.5). Despite those solid numbers, he went undrafted, and was later signed by the Packers.
With a chance to make the team, Taylor has become an increasingly interesting player to watch.
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While he was a linebacker in college, Taylor is listed as a safety on the Packers roster. This automatically adds intrigue, as he can play a hybrid role on defense. At 5-11 and 206 pounds, both safety and linebacker are viable options for the 23-year old. The athleticism Taylor showed at Ball State makes the transition seem extremely possible, and gives him plenty of flexibility on defense.
A lot of teams have trouble covering opposing tight ends. With the way the NFL is now, there are plenty of hybrid tight ends. They’re too big for defensive backs, but much too athletic for linebackers. Due to that, a hybrid linebacker/safety is becoming a much more popular idea in football. It’s as simple as getting a decent sized and athletic safety, then transferring him to linebacker — or vice versa.
The Packers have added a lot of help to both their secondary and linebacking corps this offseason. Thanks to that, it will be interesting to see who makes the cut and who doesn’t. While undrafted free agents usually aren’t near the top of the “most-likely-to-make-it” list, Taylor seems different. His ability to play multiple positions, along with his size and athleticism, could open up a door for him.
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Green Bay needed to improve on defense this offseason. One of the best ways to improve is to add depth. Taylor provides that for two different groups on defense. As training camps roll around, expect to see Taylor in the middle of a lot of action, as the Packers could have big plans for the rookie.