From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Texas A&M ILB Taurean York.
No. 21 Taurean York/ILB Texas A&M – 5110, 226 pounds (Junior)
MEASUREMENTS
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Taurean York 5110/226 8 1/2″ 30″ N/A
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
N/A N/A 4.48 7.32
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
N/A N/A 25
The Good
– Compact frame with strong base
– Solid contact balance
– Natural low pad level enables him to dip around blocks
– Great pre-snap communication
– High effort player
– Good play strength when he’s able to land his punch and engage with arms
– Highly available/durable track record
– Good mental processing and instincts
The Bad
– Undersized for NFL linebacker
– Lacks long speed to play sideline to sideline; just adequate short-area burst
– Length limitations limit his ability to take on blocks; gives up chest and gets stuck too often
– Change of direction is very limited; shows up when he loses gap leverage and in coverage
– Stiff lower half
– Struggles to shoot gaps and penetrate through traffic into backfield
– Tunnel vision in zone coverage; loses track with frequent blown coverage
Stats
– Career: 209 total tackles (25.5 TFL), 6.5 sacks, 7 passes defensed, 1 INT, 1 FF in 39 games played
– 2025: 73 total tackles (7.5 TFL), 1 sack, 3 passes defensed 13 games played
– Career Snaps: 1,984 on defense, 246 on special teams (4 units)
– 2025 Snaps: 692 on defense, 68 on special teams (3 units)
Injury History
– N/A
Bio
– 20 years old, turns 21 in June
– Originally a three-star prospect out of Temple HS in Temple, Texas
– Played at Texas A&M all three years
– Originally committed to Baylor with a late flip to A&M
– Team captain for sophomore and junior seasons
– Coached by his dad all throughout childhood
– Grew up with running back as main position
– Known as a football film junkie; overall elite work ethic
– Started doing 538 sit ups every morning to prove a doubter wrong in high school
Tape Breakdown
Downhill players who are undersized like York need to be elite and using their arms or dipping around blocks to win in the NFL. He shows the ability to dip blocks, but the limited arm length shows at times when he gives up his chest and gets stuck.
He can get completely blown off the line of scrimmage if he isn’t careful.
On the flipside, he has power when he is able to land his punch. Watch him shock back a much bigger lineman here and pancake not one but two blockers.
His vision and ability to scrape across the line of scrimmage to mirror a running back is solid, and he isn’t afraid to step into a gap to create big collisions.
If things bounce outside and he’s tested laterally with pure speed, he can get left in the dust. He doesn’t have the burst to close, and even good angles will get beat at times.
He is decent in man coverage, but his margin for error is slim. He doesn’t have catch-up speed, and his change of direction is limited with stiff hips. His eye discipline gets him in trouble in zone sometimes, losing track of his space.
This is a good example where he makes the right read and closes to tackle the catch, but his lack of twitch and limited arm length result in him missing the tackle.
Conclusion
York is an undersized inside linebacker with limited athleticism, but he plays with a lot of effort, works harder than most off the field, and has plenty of leadership skills and tape knowledge to make him attractive in pre-draft meetings with NFL teams. He may have been best served to play out his final year in college, but he should be able to work his way onto an NFL roster as a downhill thumper with good instincts.
He profiles similarly to Elandon Roberts when he was coming out of the University of Houston, though York has a lot of work to do to become that type of player at the pro level.
NFL Projection: Mid-Late Day 3
Steelers Depot Draft Grade: 6.4 (Pure Backup)
Grade Range: 5.9-6.9
Games Watched: at Notre Dame (2025), at LSU (2025), vs Arkansas (2024), vs Mizzou (2024)
Recommended for you