The Chicago Bears have fortified their defensive line room over the past 24 hours with two trades. Darrell Taylor was the first of those acquisitions, coming over from the Seattle Seahawks for a 6th round pick. His time there had run short, thanks to the arrival of a new coaching staff. They didn’t see him as a fit for their scheme. GM Ryan Poles sensed an opportunity and pounced. Now, the Bears have a young pass rusher with 21.5 sacks in his first three seasons. It is hard not to feel good about that.
Still, some people have reservations about Taylor. He’s not the best run defender, often getting caught out of position. He also has a reputation for not being the most disciplined player. Nothing exemplifies this more than a wild moment against the Las Vegas Raiders in late November of 2022. Derek Carr was picked off by Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs just seconds into the game. Before anybody knew, Taylor had sprinted onto the field while the play was still in progress and helped block.
Nothing like it had been seen in years.
First, the general belief is that Taylor thought the play was over after Diggs hit the ground following the interception. However, his unbridled energy to sprint onto the field shows how into the game he was. Matt Eberflus constantly talks about having a passion for football. He wants those types of players. The play also shows Taylor’s relentless energy. Most players would’ve sprinted off the field once they realized the whistle hadn’t blown. Instead, he decided to help block for his teammate. Having a motor like that can’t be taught.
The general consensus about Darrell Taylor is that he’s a great situational pass rusher who hasn’t realized his full potential as an all-around edge defender. Part of that may come from having had two different defensive coordinators in three years. He was drafted into a 4-3 system under Ken Norton, but a year later, they replaced him with Clint Hurtt, who shifted to a 3-4 alignment. One could argue Taylor has played out of position for two years. He had more pressures and QB hits as a rookie. Chicago might be a perfect landing spot for him.
