Friday, May 24, 2013

Dolphins rookie CB Taylor 'tries to mimic' Revis

BY DAN BEGNOCHE

The Miami Dolphins drafted cornerback Jamar Taylor to help upgrade their highly-questionable pass defense. If Taylor can put on the field what he's studied on film, they'll have nothing to worry about.

When asked by Max Strauss of prointerviews.org which NFL player Taylor likens himself to, the second-round pick out of Boise State threw for the end zone.

"I like to compare my game a lot to Darrelle Revis," Taylor said. "I’m not as patient as him in my press game. I have been in the past, but I try to switch it up a lot.

"That’s definitely someone I watch, and try to mimic a lot. The guy is just so smart, and he’s not afraid to tackle, and he’s just so patient."

Taylor showed both patience and aggressiveness in his time with the Broncos, when he was healthy. He tallied 132 total tackles, seven interceptions and four sacks in his collegiate career, numbers that would have likely been much higher had he not missed a significant amount of time for various injuries.

He'll be testing his patience once again in June, as surgery to deal with a sports hernia will keep him out until training camp.

Despite the injuries to his knee and leg in college, Taylor still remains a solid defender on the outside, and he's a speed demon to boot. That alone should keep him in the running for a starting role in Miami's secondary, as long as he can stay healthy enough to contribute.

Taylor mentioned his affection for his time as a special teams player as well, which could certainly be an option for the speedster. The Dolphins' specialty units had a hard time stopping opposing returners last season, allowing an average of more than 24 yards and 11 yards on kick and punt returns, respectively.

"Well, my freshman year, that’s really where I made most of my money," Taylor joked. "I made most of my tackles on kickoffs. I played it a lot my freshman and sophomore year and my junior year until I got hurt. It was a great experience, and I learned a lot on special teams.

"Even though I didn’t play on it as much my senior year, I still paid attention. Coach kept a lot of the younger guys on the field, but I still paid attention. I love special teams because it’s something that people don’t really pay attention to, but it’s somewhere where you can beat another team. It’s the ultimate team position."

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