Darius Taylor RB Minnesota |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #1 ROLE: DUAL-ROLE Back | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 08/03/2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2027 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.54 seconds (57%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #1 | |
| ROLE: DUAL-ROLE Back | |
| Last Updated: 08/03/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2027 | |
| Forty time: 4.54 seconds (57%*) | |
| Overall Rating: |
73.9 / 100
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| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
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76% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Rushing: |
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73% |
| Break Tackles: |
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75% |
| Receiving/Hands: |
|
73% |
| Pass Blocking: |
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65% |
| Run Blocking: |
|
50% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
UDFA
Overall Rank:
#387
Position rank:
#17 (RB)
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| College Games: 28 College Snaps: 1181 | ||
ESPN RATING: 79/100
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247 RATING: 89/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.8 (95%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Byron Cardwell Jr. - San Diego State |
|
83% |
| Jashaun Corbin - Florida State |
|
75% |
| Chuba Hubbard - Oklahoma State |
|
71% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Out of Walled Lake Western High School in Michigan, Darius Taylor rushed for 2,450 yards and 36 touchdowns as a senior, including a 438-yard game against Milford. As a 2023 Minnesota true freshman he averaged 133.2 rushing yards per game across six appearances, earning Quick Lane Bowl MVP honors with 208 yards against Bowling Green, and in 2024 he caught 54 passes while totaling 12 touchdowns.Soft-tissue injuries interrupted Taylor's 2025 season. He opened with 141 rushing yards against Buffalo, then a hamstring injury suffered against Northwestern State sidelined him for the California and Rutgers games, and he later exited the Iowa game after one carry. He finished with 670 yards and four touchdowns on 143 carries across 10 games, adding 34 receptions for 245 yards.
Taylor ran for 148 yards and a touchdown against Nebraska, then closed the year with 116 yards and a score on 24 carries in Minnesota's 20-17 overtime win over New Mexico in the Rate Bowl, the Gophers' seventh consecutive bowl victory under P.J. Fleck.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Thirty-four catches with receiving tape among the best backs in this group.
- Closed the season with 116 yards and a score in an overtime bowl win.
- Hammered Nebraska for 148 and Buffalo for 141 in feature outings.
- Pass protection tape clear the NFL line, the rarest skill in this group.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Hamstring and assorted injuries have now shortened two consecutive seasons.
- Ordinary ground tape, with thirteen explosive runs on 143 carries.
- Four drops dent an otherwise strong receiving file.
- Average timed speed without the burst profile his role implies.
- Two straight shortened seasons leave the durability file unresolved heading into 2026.
Scouting Report: Summary
The three-down toolkit is closer to complete than anyone else's in this tier: thirty-four catches with receiving tape among the group's best, pass protection that actually clears the NFL line, and feature tapes against Nebraska and Buffalo, 148 and 141 yards, that bookended a 116-yard overtime bowl win. When Taylor plays, Minnesota's offense ran through him in every phase, the usage profile NFL committees are built from.When he plays is the problem. A hamstring cost him chunks of a second consecutive shortened season, ten games this time, the rushing tape sits ordinary with thirteen explosive runs on 143 carries and average timed speed underneath, and four drops dent the receiving file that carries the projection. He returns to Minnesota for 2026 carrying the same medical questions and a featured role waiting if his body cooperates.
Backs who protect the quarterback and catch the football make NFL rosters from the sixth round and free agency every single year, because the third-down job is a skill set rather than a depth chart. A durable Minnesota season at even this level of receiving production would lock in a late-round grade; the present projection is a priority free agent whose passing-down readiness stands as the single most NFL-ready skill anywhere on this tier of the running back board.
How other scouting services rate Darius Taylor (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
202.5
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
9.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.