Los Angeles Rams select Jason Taylor II in 7th round of 2023 NFL Draft

Former Oklahoma State safety Jason Taylor II is officially heading to the NFL. That became a true reality in the 7th round of the 2023 NFL Draft, when Taylor was selected with the No. 234 overall pick by the Los Angeles Rams.

Taylor joined Oklahoma State as part of the 2018 recruiting class. He was the No. 30 player out of the state of Oklahoma as a three-star recruit, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Taylor became more and more of a contributor throughout his time at Oklahoma State. In his first year of action in 2019, he had 16 tackles. He then had 12 tackles in 2020. During the 2021 campaign, Taylor emerged as a weapon out of the Oklahoma State secondary, totaling 48 total tackles with four passes defended, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.

In 2022, Taylor truly broke out as a star in the secondary and put himself on the NFL Draft radar. He finished this past season with 99 tackles, 80 of which were solo, in addition to seven passes defended and six interceptions.

Taylor also returned one kickoff during his collegiate career, and it went 48 yards for a touchdown in 2020.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Jason Taylor II

Taylor has the potential to be a Day 1 contributor in the NFL, as NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein believes he could be a strong contributor to special teams units right away. Zierlein sees obvious limits to Taylor’s game, but sees plenty of value in him as a tackler with the potential to play an important role, likely starting as a backup.

“Taylor offers well-defined strengths and obvious areas of concern that should allow for teams to deploy him in the best manner possible if they are honest in their assessments,” Zierlein said. “He boasts an NFL frame and is a powerful tackler who can stop rushers and pass-catchers in their tracks. Though his speed and agility are below par, he’s highly instinctive and possesses the skills to make plays on the ball as a deep safety.

“Figuring out when to play him low and when to play him high will be the challenge for defensive coordinators, but even as a backup, he brings four-phase special teams talent to the table immediately.”