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The 2026 NFL Draft is considered to be relatively weak at the top of the board. But one position that this year’s draft is certainly not lacking in is linebackers.
Ohio State duo Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles lead the way. But other stars such as Georgia’s CJ Allen, Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez, and Texas’s Anthony Hill could all be off the board by the end of the second round.
Each of those players dominated on the biggest stages of them all in the SEC and Big Ten or, in Rodriguez’s case, the College Football Playoff.
But a little-known Division II player named Colby Taylor could well be the steal of the draft at the linebacker position.
West Florida’s Colby Taylor Had An Absolutely Insane Pro Day
If you aren’t familiar with Taylor’s name, you’re probably not the only one. The Summerville, South Carolina native began his career at D-2 Newberry College, where he racked up 12 sacks over two seasons at defensive end.
He then transferred to West Florida, where he largely flew under the radar. But there’s a belief among many that Taylor could yet have a ton of untapped potential, and there’s good reason why.
West Florida LB Colby Taylor had an INSANE Pro Day today, speaking with the #Jaguars there.
Among LBs at the Combine:
Bench – 1st (by 4!!)
Vert – 2nd
Broad – 3rd
40yd – 4th
10yd Split – 1st
Shuttle – 1st (by .19 seconds!!)
3 Cone – 1st pic.twitter.com/pwvthniSWX— Easton Butler (@Easton__Butler) March 23, 2026
At a recent Pro Day, Taylor checked in at 6-foot-1.5-inches and 251 pounds. He put up 31 reps on the bench press, which would have been the best among linebackers at the combine by four reps. He also ran a 4.52 40-yard dash, which would have been fourth at the combine, with a 1.55 10-yard split, which would have topped everybody.
Taylor’s 4.0 short shuttle time would have been nearly two tenths faster than anyone else in Indianapolis, and both his vertical and broad jumps would have been among the top three.
Now, who knows whether that athleticism can translate to the football field at the NFL level? It’s a massive jump from the competition level he has faced in Division II. But it’s clear that Taylor is an unreal athlete, and some NFL team is sure to take a chance on the face that their coaches can unlock the best of his ability.