New mock draft has Darrell Taylor going in the first round

Tennessee pass rusher Darrell Taylor has been a mainstay on day two of just about every NFL mock draft you can find. But as we see every year, certain guys rise and fall on draft week, especially those playing premium positions. It sounds like Taylor could be one of those to rise this year.

NFL.com’s Peter Schrager has Taylor going in the first round of his final mock draft — No. 30 to the Seattle Seahawks.

PROJECTED TRADE WITH PACKERS. Taylor’s a name that’s been coming up a bunch over the last 48 hours. I’ve got him sneaking into the first round to a team that could use some more help up front.

Daniel Jeremiah also has Taylor as one that “will go higher than anticipated.”

The majority of mocks have had Taylor in round three to this point. The 6-4, 255 pound edge rusher has put up 16.5 sacks over the last two seasons, showing prototypical size and athleticism for the position. His only issue during that time has been consistency. The majority of his production came in massive performances — three sacks against Georgia, four against Kentucky. Taylor will have to bring a more consistent impact at the next level, but the baseline ability is there.

Sounds like we’ll be needing to pay attention to the late first round tonight.