2022 Chiefs Draft Prospect: Cam Taylor-Britt

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NAME: Cam Taylor-Britt

POSITION: Cornerback

SCHOOL: Nebraska

HEIGHT: 5’10”

WEIGHT: 196 pounds

CAREER BACKGROUND

A native of Montgomery, Alabama, Cam Taylor-Britt attended Park Crossing High School. He was one of the more impressive quarterbacks in Alabama high school football, especially during his senior season in 2017. That year, Taylor-Britt accumulated 1,466 passing yards, 16 passing touchdowns, 1,030 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. He was named to the Alabama Sports Writers Association Class 6A All-State first-team after that senior campaign. 247Sports rated him as a three-star recruit and listed Taylor-Britt among the nation’s top 60 athletes.

Position Switch

There were some that thought Taylor-Britt may play wide receiver after joining Nebraska. However, he immediately saw playing time as a true freshman in 2018 at cornerback and on special teams. Taylor-Britt played in 11 games that year. He tallied 12 tackles, three pass breakups and one fumble recovery.

The 2019 season saw Taylor-Britt become a consistent starter on Nebraska’s defense. For instance, he started in 10 games and appeared in 11 total contests. There was also some versatility that Taylor-Britt displayed, as he started at safety seven times and started at cornerback three times. In the end, the defender totaled 49 tackles, four tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, three interceptions, two pass breakups and 1.5 sacks.

One Of The Big Ten’s Best

Despite the 2020 season being limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Taylor-Britt still started in seven games and played in all eight contests. He finished with 28 tackles, six passes defended (team lead), four pass breakups, three tackles for loss and two interceptions (tied for team lead). Furthermore, Taylor-Britt handled a new role as Nebraska’s punt returner. He averaged more than 13 yards per return. Taylor-Britt was recognized as a second-team All-Big Ten selection for 2020.

Taylor-Britt started in all 12 games in 2021. In his final college season, he was able to set single season career highs in tackles (51) and pass breakups (11). Taylor-Britt also recorded three tackles for loss, one sack, one interception and one blocked kick. For the second consecutive season, he earned a second-team All-Big Ten selection. Taylor-Britt also took part in the 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl after the season.

SCOUTING REPORT

Instead of listing positives and negatives for traits, this year we will be listing the best trait of each prospect and work our way down to the biggest area of improvement/absent trait(s), from top to bottom.

Length

There is having adequate length, and then there is what Taylor-Britt is gifted with. His ability to extend, both at the catch point and when in coverage near the line of scrimmage, allow him multiple chances to frustrate the opposing offense. When it comes to opposing receivers, Taylor-Britt is able disrupt both their catch comfort and footwork throughout the course of the route. Opposing quarterbacks also have difficulties with ball placement, because of his length. Overall, Taylor-Britt is capable of making more diverse and challenging plays on the football and in space when factoring in his enormous length.

Football IQ

Taylor-Britt’s instincts are more rooted in his reactionary skills, rather than being in the correct position all the time. He uses a quick trigger to jump into throwing lanes and slice into pass catchers’ chests. There is also a patience and calmness that he displays when in one-on-one matchups. For example, Taylor-Britt has steadily improved on his reactions to double moves or fakes. He has also been a constant pest with his body positioning and adjustments when in coverage. On top of that, this defensive back may have some of the most well-rounded anticipation when in coverage, when it comes to possible day two picks at the position.

Athleticism

The short area burst of Taylor-Britt is more prevalent than any long speed. This especially shows up in his transitions, where he is very swift when getting in and out of breaks. For example, Taylor-Britt showed explosive burst when changing directions and flipping his hips. The same thing could be said when he travels laterally across the field. His combination of processing speed and recovery speed while in coverage allows Taylor-Britt numerous chances to make plays on the football.

Coverage Skills

Let’s start with Taylor-Britt’s abilities in man coverage. He proved time after time that he was able to successfully slow down receivers when pressing them at the line of scrimmage. His strength and length are a major part of that. On the flip side, Taylor-Britt showed that he can keep a firm grasp and stick close to the receiver’s inside hip. Sticking tightly to the opponent is a bit more inconsistent at the top of the routes. Though, Taylor-Britt has the anticipation that allows him to recover cleanly.

Zone coverage tendencies may be where he is more comfortable, as things currently stand. Taylor-Britt is extremely smooth when using a half-turn technique. At the same time, he remains focused on the football when it is in the backfield, while also sustaining solid body positioning between he and the pass catcher.

Ball Skills

His ability to track and find the football in the intermediate to deep portion of the field is exquisite. Taylor-Britt displays soft, natural hands when able to get his hands on the football. His background of handling different positions throughout his entire football career strongly back that up too. Additionally, Taylor-Britt is able to make more difficult pass breakups or plays on the football that are outside of his frame. That is something that he is almost alone in, compared to other defensive backs. That is because of Taylor-Britt being able to disrupt passes from difficult angles or positions. All in all, that is due to his ample catch radius and wingspan.

Versatility

Taylor-Britt has the appeal to play both in the slot and near the line of scrimmage in tight formations. Mainly, he will likely receive reps at outside cornerback most of the time. Yet, his ability to move around the defensive formation is there. Taylor-Britt noticeably had immense comfort and confidence against any play style or size of opponent, no matter where he lined up at.

Tackling

This defensive back will lay quite the boom if he can square up his target. However, Taylor-Britt may not always execute consistent tackling form. He is able to stop opponents in their tracks, if he is able to execute a crisp wrap up, though. Basically, Taylor-Britt is able to suffocate ball carriers or wide receivers with punishing force. But, the results are just simply varied.

Competitiveness

There is a tenacity and fierceness that Taylor-Britt brings to the table. Being able to fight off blocks in run support can be hit or miss, however. Furthermore, there is questions about how consistent his results may be in contested catch situations. Taylor-Britt has the instincts and length to help in those moments. Finally, he is able to make a big enough impact strictly off of effort and motor alone. The results are just much more mixed, and it may be due to the position that he plays.

CHIEFS FIT

The appeal of adding a mix of physicality and athleticism like Cam Taylor-Britt possesses could be highly attractive to a defense like the Kansas City Chiefs. His instincts and reactionary speed would also fit the desires of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. On the other hand, the ability to handle multiple positions within the secondary may also complement someone like L’Jarius Sneed or Rashad Fenton well. Spagnuolo could mix and match with certain matchups more often in that instance. More importantly, the Chiefs are likely interested in something like Taylor-Britt’s steady ball production.

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs draft prospect profiles throughout this spring. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.