Leonard Taylor

Jets signed Miami DT Leonard Taylor III.

A premium five-star recruit who was rated as the fourth overall prospect in the nation from the 2021 prep cycle, Taylor (6’034/303) proved he was ready to contribute right away by playing in nine games recording 200 snaps, 10 stops, and 8.5 TFLs. The Honorable Mention All-ACC performer was slated to make the leap to stardom this year, but he shifted to play more in the A-gap (202-of-341 snaps) which caused Taylor some growing pains, recording a 28 percent missed tackle rate and ghastly 33rd percentile tackle rate. His ability to bring pressure is awe-inspiring when he’s engaged, as is evidenced by his 82.1 PFF pass rush grade. However, Taylor recorded 11 of his 21 pressures against hapless opponents Bethune Cookman and Temple and just six pressures against the six ACC opponents he squared off against in 2023. His combine testing was above average with a 1.75s 10-yard split, a 30” vertical, and a 9’01” broad jump for a respectable 7.29 Relative Athletic Score. While Taylor possesses the raw strength and natural twitch to be a menace in pass sets, he tends to get knocked off his rush path when he foregoes balance for speed.