According to CBS Sports’ writer Rob Rang, Baylor nose tackle Phil Taylor has some medical issues related to the bones in his feet that might keep him from being taken as high as some draft pundits have him currently positioned. Often linked to the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 21 overall, Taylor’s draft stock seems to be plummeting.
The official report is that the bones in his feet are growing together, a possibly major concern for a player at his size. As Rang writes:
Taylor, according to MRIs taken at the Combine, has bones growing together in his feet. The condition, which according to the source is not correctable through surgery, is a pain tolerance issue. Considering that Taylor played much of his senior season at 330-340 pounds — and has allowed his weight to get into the 380s in the past — teams are concerned that his weight will only make the injury tougher to handle.
Peter King also reports on Taylor’s injury concern, saying that one team has even removed Taylor from their draft board entirely. Some teams go to such lengths so they don’t have to choose a player if they happen to be available and they’re the highest rated player. Then again, it seems a bit dramatic given that Taylor is a beast in the running game and has exactly the size many teams need in the middle.