Now, I’m not one to use foul language, but I’ll be darned if this NSFW pregame clip of former Volunteer Darrell Taylor doesn’t stoke my excitement to see him play in some meaningful NFL games. Warning: Strong verbiage ahead. You’ve been warned.
Darrell Taylor with his first sack? You know what that meanspic.twitter.com/NBVf0do9Fi
— Parker (@ParkerLewes) August 29, 2021
Flash forward a bit in time and Darrell Taylor seems to be no less lacking in confidence, as he continued to impress at his post-game presser in a pair of stunning stunner shades.
Here was Darrell Taylor and his sunglasses after getting 1.5 sacks in his best showing of the preseason: pic.twitter.com/1kWmkICJDe
— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) August 29, 2021
When the Seattle Seahawks made Darrell Taylor their 2nd round selection in 2020, hopes were high that his long frame and explosive rushing style would be the perfect antidote to an anemic pass rush that registered only 28 sacks in 2019 — easily the fewest of the Pete Carroll era and good enough for a three-way tie with Detroit and Atlanta for the penultimate losers in the team sacks column, only to be outdone by the lowly Miami Dolphins and their pallid total of 23. Of course, Seattle did significantly improve their pass rush last season, but they did so without Taylor, as he spent the entire season rehabbing and recovering from offseason surgery that ended up robbing him of his rookie year and robbing all of us of the opportunity to see him perform. Flash forward to preseason 2021 and things are looking a bit different.
Darrell Taylor capped off a solid showing in Seattle’s exhibition games by notching one and a half sacks in the team’s only win of the preseason. And he did so while looking every bit the part of an electrifying NFL pass rusher. Just watch this sack and tell me you don’t see flashes of what made players like Cliff Avril and Bruce Irvin so dangerous in years past.
#VFL Darrell Taylor blows by Chargers’ tackle Trey Pipkins for the sack.
Taylor’s entering his second season with the Seahawks after the team selected him in the second round of last year’s draft.
Taylor changed his number from 58 to 52, in part, to honor his late mother. pic.twitter.com/zAf7KLM5vR
— RockyTopTalk (@RockyTopTalk) August 29, 2021
Taylor caught Trey Pipkins III doing his best Germain Ifedi impression and blew by him for the takedown, and although we can certainly expect the competition level to take a big step up as we step into the regular season, there is every reason to think that Darrell will continue to have opportunities to make his mark. And he looks to do so in a role akin to the spot that Bruce Irvin carved out for himself in his time in Seattle.
“Taylor said he had rust to knock off after missing his rookie season last year with a leg injury. That, as well as the fact that he has a new role as a hybrid end/strong-side linebacker, is why he played extensively in all three preseason games.”
— Stan ‘the boy’ Taylor (@GoodGuyAtSports) August 29, 2021
In addition to the above listed stats, Taylor registered two QB hits and one TFL last night. Officially, Taylor finishes the preseason with seven total tackles, five of them solo, and looks to head into Indianapolis with a full head of steam. Talented, athletic pass rushers have been an important feature of Seattle’s most impressive defenses of the last decade, and while the team has quite a few players on their roster who can get after QBs, they are light on proven superstars after Carlos Dunlap. This means that the future is wide open for Darrell, as the former Tennessean steps out of his NFL prologue and starts writing the first chapter in what will hopefully be a long and productive career as a Seahawk.
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