Gang Green Nation
The Jets recently acquired cornerback Ja’Sir Taylor via trade and he has already played in four games for the team. Today we break Taylor down in detail.
The 26-year old Taylor is listed at 5’10” and 185 pounds and was a sixth round pick out of Wake Forest in 2022. He has started 11 games in his four-year NFL career, with 88 tackles, 15 pass breakups and an interception.
Background
Taylor was a three-star high school recruit, who headed to Wake Forest in 2017 and ultimately played five seasons with them. His role and production steadily increased throughout his career to the point where he earned recognition as an all-ACC honorable mention in 2020 and 2021.
After recording 27 tackles and five pass breakups in his freshman year, he had 26 tackles and six pass breakups as a sophomore. Although he didn’t register his first interception until his junior year, he ended his career with two interceptions in each of his last three seasons.
In his final season, he had a career-high 60 tackles, four tackles for loss and three fumble recoveries.
Despite not being invited to the scouting combine, Taylor’s pro day and performance at the East West Shrine Bowl had him ranked as a potential late round pick and he was ultimately selected by the Chargers in the sixth round of the 2022 draft.
He made three starts in his rookie year, which saw him record 22 tackles and a pass breakup. In his second year, however, he played a much bigger role as he was on the field for over 500 snaps with six starts. He had 32 tackles, eight pass breakups and an interception.
However, Taylor’s playing time fell off in 2024 as he made just two starts and had 22 tackles and five pass breakups. He barely played on defense in the first nine games of this season before being traded to the Jets for a 2028 seventh round pick.
He has played in four games already with the Jets, recording four tackles and a pass breakup. While he was mostly just playing special teams in the first three games, he had 30 snaps as the main slot cornerback on Sunday due to Jarvis Brownlee being out.
Let’s move onto some more in-depth analysis of what Taylor brings to the table as a player, based on extensive research and film study.
Measurables/Athleticism
Taylor lacks ideal size and length but is a good athlete who ran a 4.47 and posted good explosiveness and agility numbers at his pro day. He managed 12 bench press reps. He has a background as a track athlete and once ran a sub-10.8 in the 100 meters.
Usage
Taylor has played extensively both on the outside and in the slot at the college and NFL levels. He was primarily an outside corner in college, but has played more in the slot at the NFL level.
Coverage skills
Taylor’s coverage numbers are not that bad, as he only gave up a catch...
