As we continue our series of player-by-player profiles of the 90-man roster the New York Giants will bring to training camp in less than two weeks, let's look at a player who might be among the most unlikely to remain with the team after roster cuts are made. Defensive tackle Carlif Taylor played collegiately at Division II Southern Connecticut State and signed with the Giants after rookie minicamp.
2014 Season in Review
There isn't much info on Taylor. Here is something straight out of his Giants.com bio:
Two-time All-Northeast-10 Conference selection ... Career totals included 172 tackles and 6.0 sacks ... As a senior in 2014, he was a team captain, played in 11 games and was credited with 73 tackles (35 solo), including eight for losses and a half-sack ... In his junior season, Taylor played in 10 games and had 54 tackles (31 solo), 10.5 tackles for losses and 3 sacks.
Here is a highlight reel:
2015 Season Outlook
Taylor, 6-foot-2, 319 pounds, was one of two players the Giants signed after tryouts at rookie minicamp. The other was former Stony Brook tight end Will Tye. Let's look at a couple of scouting reports to get to know more about Taylor. These are from sources I'm not familiar with, so I can't vouch for the knowledge of the writers, but they are what is available.
A disruptive force in the middle of the defensive line, he flashes both athleticism and size that indicate he will have no trouble making the jump from a small school to the NFL.
He's so intriguing because of his athletic ability at his current size. That gives him good versatility across the defensive line. Scouts will have to decide if his traits can translate from small school to the pro game, but his tape shows little reason why that would be unreasonable.
Who knows what the Giants have found here? Can Taylor really transition from Division II, where he sometimes looked unblockable, to the NFL? That's a question that can't be answered right now. The Giants, obviously, are intrigued enough to give him a chance.
Let's see what he can make of it.