Taylor Decker, OT
School: Ohio State | Conference: BIG-10
College Experience: Senior | Age: 21
Height / Weight: 6-7 / 315 lbs
Projected Draft Status: 1st Round
NFL Comparison: Jared Veldheer
College Statistics
N/A
Player Overview
Taylor Decker has ideal size, strength, athleticism, toughness, and grit to be a franchise left tackle. He's a massive guy who is strong enough to put defenders on their butts while run blocking and stonewall pass rushers off the edge. He plays with good technique and has a devastating initial punch. He is so athletic for such a big guy and can get to the second level. He may have the best ability to control and redirect defenders than any other OT in this draft class. Decker was the 2015 Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the year beating out other potential 1st round tackles Jack Conklin and Jason Spriggs.
Strengths
- Excellent size.
- Good initial mirror and great punch, he stonewalls defenders.
- Nasty tenacious finisher. Gets opponents on the ground.
- Plays with a great base can also recover from counter moves.
- Plows through opponents while run blocking.
- Makes it look easy. Franchise player potential.
Weaknesses
- Can be fooled by delayed blitzes.
- Being a big guy he sometimes plays too upright and not low enough. That will compromise his leverage in the NFL and could draw some holding penalties as he struggles to recover especially when he starts playing against NFL OLBs and DEs.
Let's see his work:
Taylor Decker an "echo of the whistle" kinda guy...love it https://t.co/mJvp1HOzr6
— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) February 9, 2016
Bump hips and switch off. Taylor Decker statues with his man and didn't fall for the spin move. https://t.co/LA939dpOzi
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) February 2, 2016
NFL Mock Draft 2016: Another mock draft has Colts taking offensive lineman Taylor Decker https://t.co/Nk8aVJTkQK pic.twitter.com/frYhGieiml
— Stampede Blue (@StampedeBlue) January 25, 2016
On to offensive tackles this week, and we start with Ohio State LT Taylor Decker. Patient and anchors well pic.twitter.com/kQ8wLqlM2c
— Joe Buscaglia (@JoeBuscaglia) January 25, 2016
Taylor Decker is relentless lol https://t.co/KNU7T2oDLM
— Kylo Reno (@alex_reno) January 13, 2016
Lot of throwing guys to the ground or providing free public transportation https://t.co/l66nZz5LFP
— KP (@The_KP_Show) February 10, 2016
How He Would Fit on the Redskins
2016 won't be the year the Washington Redskins draft a franchise left tackle. Decker could be a potential top 15 pick and could be the second tackle taken in the draft after Leremy Tunsil. Decker could be a franchise player and could be very much in the running for tackle-needy teams such as the Eagles, Colts, or Raiders. He has the physical skills and the intelligence to be a 10-12 year starter in the NFL. Decker would provide an instant upgrade as a run blocker and arguably as a pass protector for those teams as well as a much-needed addition of youth on the line. Decker fits into both types of blocking schemes (power and zone) which may boost his draft stock even further as draft day comes along.