Ryan Taylor: 2011 Green Bay Packers Evaluation and Report Card

ALLGBP.com All Green Bay Packers All the Time
Packers Tight End Ryan Taylor
Ryan Taylor

1) Introduction: Ted Thompson raised a few eyebrows in April when he took Taylor just two rounds after selecting D.J. Williams at the same position. The Packers then had five tight ends, including Taylor, with a chance to make the final roster at the beginning of training camp. By September 3, Taylor and his four peers had, in fact, made the 53.

2) Profile:

Ryan Lawrence Taylor

Position: TE
Height: 6-2
Weight: 245 lbs.
AGE: 23

Career Stats

 

3) Expectations coming into the season: A special teams captain in two of his four years at North Carolina with experience playing linebacker, Taylor reminded some of Spencer Havner. If he was able to make the 53-man roster in 2011, most expected Taylor to play a similar role.

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: Taylor played on just 32 offensive snaps but did catch his first career touchdown pass in Week 14 against Oakland. It ended up being Taylor’s only catch of the season. To his credit on special teams, Taylor was active in 15 of 17 games and finished second on the team with eight total tackles.

5) Player’s contribution to the overall team success: Taylor was a core special teams player who provided energy and a touch of nastiness. Being active in 15 of 17 games as a seventh round pick on a defending Super Bowl champion says enough about what Mike McCarthy and Shawn Slocum thought of Taylor as a special teamer. While he didn’t get in the game on offense until Week 13, few expected him to play a big role offensively in Year 1.

6) Player’s contributions in the playoffs: Taylor was active and played six offensive snaps against the Giants. He didn’t record a catch or special teams tackle.

Season Report Card:

(B) Level of expectations met during the season
(C) Contributions to team’s overall success.
(D) Contributions to team during the playoffs

Overall Grade: C-

——————

Zach Kruse is a 23-year-old sports journalist with a passion for the Green Bay Packers. He currently lives in Wisconsin and is working on his journalism degree, while also covering prep sports for The Dunn Co. News.

You can read more of Zach's Packers articles on AllGreenBayPackers.com.

——————

3 thoughts on “Ryan Taylor: 2011 Green Bay Packers Evaluation and Report Card

  1. Don’t recall to much of his game this season, but I understand QB1 likes him and with Quarless questionable for next year we might see a lot more of Taylor.

  2. I’ll say this about Taylor, he definitely brings a nasty streak to the Packers that has not existed at all under MM with exception to possibly Josh Sitton and TJ Lang, but neither of those guys mix it up like Taylor.

    This kid is dynamite waiting for, no, begging for someone to light his fuse. He’s a scrapper.

    Saw him light up Erik Walden in training camp during one-on-ones, and then a little later started to get into in again in team drills.

    He’s also underestimated as a receiver.

  3. He has a football player attitude as Oppy so eliquently stated. I like that and look forward tom ore next year.

Comments are closed.