Branson Taylor became the first Pitt player to hear his name called in the 2026 NFL Draft, as he was taken by the Los Angeles Chargers in the sixth round with the No. 199 overall pick. Taylor checks in at 6-foot-6 and 321 pounds and has the ability to play multiple spots on the offensive line at the next level. Taylor was elected a team captain ahead of the 2024 season and was part of the team's undefeated start, but a mid-year injury ended his Pitt career prematurely.
Overall, Taylor started 21 games throughout his five year run in Pittsburgh. He started games at both left tackle and right tackle throughout his career. Taylor arrived at Pitt in the class of 2020, and was a nice recruiting win for the coaching staff as he chose the Panthers over rival West Virginia. He was a three-star recruit out of Elyria Catholic in Lorain (OH). During his high school career, Taylor also excelled in basketball and that athleticism spiked his recruitment. He was graded as the seventh ranked prospect in the state of Ohio back in the class of 2020.
Taylor was brought along slowly once he arrived in Pittsburgh, taking a redshirt season before moving into a backup and special teams role in 2021 on Pitt's ACC Championship team. He moved into the two-deep depth chart in 2022, and was elevated to a starter late in the year due to injuries and started the Panthers' Sun Bowl victory over UCLA. That late season momentum carried over for Taylor, as he assumed the starting right tackle role in 2023, and eventually shifted to the left side, again due to injuries on the Panthers' offensive line.
Taylor and the Pitt offense started the season strong this past season with him working on the left side, but an injury prevented him from playing the final seven games of the season, which ultimately stunted Pitt's season, and may have dropped Taylor's draft prospects some. The new LA Charger was invited to the NFL Combine despite his injuury, but he was not yet a full participant while he was in Indianapolis, and finally got a chance to show off in front of teams at Pitt's Pro Day back in March, and apparently that performance was well received by the Chargers' front office. Taylor is now the seventh member of the Chargers' draft class, which is highlighted by first round running back Omarion Hampton. Los Angeles is coming off of an 11-6 season under first year head coach Jim Harbaugh.
This now marks the third consecutive draft a Pitt offensive linemen has been selected. Taylor follows in the footsteps of Carter Warren, a fourth round pick in 2023, and Matthew Goncalves, a third rounder last year. Those were also two players he backed up and learned under during his time at Pitt.