Brother of Late Commanders Legend Shines at Pro Day

The defensive back ran the 40-yard dash and was told he ran somewhere between a 4.38 and 4.44, according to an interview he gave after the workout.

Having an All-Pro brother sets the bar high, but Taylor isn’t claiming to be the second coming of the phenom. He’s just trying to be the best version of himself.

"A diamond in the rough," Taylor said, via Aaron Wilson. "A person that's going to come in and compete. I don't care about being a superstar......I want to be the best role player I can be."

Taylor, at 5-10 and 190 pounds, is undersized at either safety spot. But if his athleticism is as advertised, he may be able to carve out a role for himself. He logged seven tackles for loss in 2024 along with three interceptions and picked off 10 passes over the course of his college career.

Taylor spent five seasons contributing to Rice’s defense. He’ll hope to parlay that experience and his demeanor into an NFL role. When asked what he brings to the table, Taylor spoke of his football character.

“A person that's vocal, not afraid to be vocal,” he said. “I like to be accountable. Anything I can do to make the team improve.”

Taylor is an older prospect, having spent significant time at school. Combined with his size, that may be enough to push him out of the draft entirely. However, that might bode well for Washington who was at his Pro Day.

The Commanders were joined by the Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers for Rice’s festivities. He was invited to two workouts, the Miami Dolphins’ and the Texans. They are held on the same day, and he told Wilson that he’ll be headed to Miami on April 11.

With a strong enough showing, he could find himself signed or drafted by April’s close, following in his brother’s footsteps to the NFL.

“I’m just doing my thing. A lot of comparisons to him but if that’s the only comparison I’ve got then that’s okay. I’ll do the best I can.”