2019 NFL Draft: Florida State Football’s Levonta Taylor is living up to the hype

Levonta Taylor was widely regarded as the No. 1 cornerback recruit in the country in 2016. The Florida State Seminoles star is living up to the hype.

It’s an unfortunate truth, but it’s quite rare that coveted high school recruits turn into the stars they’re expected to be. Top-ranked players face high expectations that most aren’t ready to encounter, and thus crumble beneath said burden.

Coupled with the infinite number of distractions as one of the stars on campus, and it’s a rare privilege to see coveted recruits live up to the hype.

While he may not be garnering the type of hype as he should be with the Florida State Seminoles, Levonta Taylor is proving to be the unique exception. Taylor was the No. 1 ranked cornerback in the class of 2016, per 247Sports, and has lived up to the hype—and then some.

Previously regarded as the No. 1 cornerback in the country at the high school level, he may deserve the same praise in college.

It’s hard to argue with those numbers.

Taylor, who will be a junior in 2018 and draft-eligible in 2019, has been a dominant force at the cornerback position. In 2017, he started all 13 games at cornerback, and established himself as a true cover corner.

Taylor welcomed the opportunity to take on high-level wide receivers, and shut opponents down more often than he didn’t.

When quarterbacks throw Taylor’s way, the likelihood of a completion is unbelievably low—and NFL scouts need to be taking notice.

Taylor has a strong build at 5’10” and 181 pounds, as well as the speed to hold his own when placed on an island. He’ll need to prove himself with the spotlight shining even brighter on him in 2018, but quarterbacks have experienced minimal success when targeting his man.

It’s gotten to the point that opposing quarterbacks don’t even consider the possibility of throwing Taylor’s way unless they have to.

There’s a genuine argument to be made that Taylor is the best cornerback in the country—and these statistics all support it.

Taylor needs to improve his ball skills, as he has two career interceptions—and they were both recorded in a single game against the Florida Gators. It’s hard to make plays on the football when it isn’t coming your way, however, and that’s a truth that scouts must consider.

There are a number of gifted cornerbacks who are eligible for the 2019 NFL Draft, but there’s something to be said about the player who faces high expectations and lives up to them.

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Florida State Seminoles cornerback Levonta Taylor is another dominant season away from garnering legitimate top-10 hype at the 2019 NFL Draft.