Alontae Taylor, CB
Length, speed, and intelligence. Alontae Taylor has all of that, and that makes him an ideal cornerback.
And to think, Taylor came to Tennessee to play wide receiver initially.
A nagging injury hampered Taylor last year, but his play slowly got better as the season went along, and he was almost back to form by the end of the year. He flashed a ton of potential as a true freshman and was a full-time starter for the Vols, and he appeared in all 13 games for UT last season and started half those contests. Despite the slow start, Taylor ended up with his first career interception and set a career-high with four passes defended. He also picked up a sack.
Taylor has a little more to prove on the field than his counterpart Bryce Thompson, but Taylor has been sterling off the field. He shouldn’t have any red flags there.
It remains to be seen if Taylor will leave after his junior season, but if he’s fully healthy and can keep improving, he’ll likely have a decision to make after the 2020 campaign. Taylor is very physically gifted and looks like the prototypical NFL cornerback with his size and length.
