Leonard Taylor III
Leonard Taylor III (born May 29, 2002) is an American football defensive tackle for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Miami.
| No. 96 – New York Jets | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive tackle |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | May 29, 2002 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight: | 305 lb (138 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Miami Palmetto (Pinecrest, Florida) |
| College: | Miami (2021–2023) |
| Undrafted: | 2024 |
| Career history | |
| |
| Roster status: | Active |
Early life and high school
Taylor was born on May 29, 2002, in Miami, Florida, and attended Miami Palmetto Senior High School in Pinecrest, Florida.[1] As a senior, he had 51 tackles, five sacks and an interception in seven games. He was selected to play in both the 2021 Under Armour All-America Game and 2021 All-American Bowl.[2][3] A five-star recruit, Taylor committed to the University of Miami to play college football.[4][5]
College career
Taylor played in nine games as a true freshman at Miami in 2021, recording 21 tackles and two sacks. As a junior in 2022, he had 24 tackles, three sacks and an interception.[6][7][8] Taylor declared for the 2024 NFL draft following the 2023 season.[9]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3+1⁄2 in (1.92 m) |
303 lb (137 kg) |
33+7⁄8 in (0.86 m) |
9 in (0.23 m) | 5.12 s | 1.76 s | 2.96 s | 4.71 s | 7.68 s | 30.0 in (0.76 m) | 9 ft 1 in (2.77 m) | ||
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[10][11] | ||||||||||||
Taylor signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent on May 3, 2024.[12]
References
- "Leonard Taylor Defensive Tackle Miami". nfldraftbuzz.com. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- University of Miami Commit Leonard Taylor Welcomed to 2021 All-American Bowl with Virtual Jersey Presentation
- Five-Star Prospect Leonard Taylor Commits to 2021 All-American Bowl
- Miami Hurricanes land DT Leonard Taylor, No. 5 overall prospect in 2021
- Leonard Taylor commits to Miami
- Leonard Taylor III Emerging as Budding Star on Miami's Defense
- How a meeting with Mario Cristobal changed Leonard Taylor’s season and ‘opened his eyes’
- Miami DT Leonard Taylor national force heading into FSU
- Miller Degnan, Susan; Jackson, Barry. "Miami DT Leonard Taylor signs with rapper Lil Wayne's agency, to enter NFL draft". Miami Herald. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
- "Leonard Taylor III Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- "2024 NFL Draft Scout Leonard Taylor III College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- Greenberg, Ethan; Pullano, John (May 3, 2024). "Jets Sign 17 Undrafted Free Agents". NewYorkJets.com.