Tennessee football: Alontae Taylor’s five best NFL landing spots

Probably the best pro case Alontae Taylor made was the way Tennessee football looked in the secondary without him during the Music City Bowl against the Purdue Boilermakers. Taylor decided to focus on the NFL Draft instead of play in the game, and UT’s pass defense got torched all game long.

Anyway, the decision worked out, as Taylor had a solid combine. Combine it with his 2021 production and his size at 6’0″ 196 pounds, and there’s not a lot to not like about him. Similar to Matthew Butler, he is probably a high pick on the last day.

However, that’s a huge opportunity for him, as there are plenty of teams in need of a cornerback who will give him the chance to develop from a situational player into potentially a starter. Let’s look at who gives him that best shot. These are the five best landing spots in the NFL for the former Tennessee football cornerback.

Missed NFL Playoffs

Right now, Patrick Peterson and Cameron Dantzler have the cornerback spots locked up for Minnesota. However, Peterson is 31 years old, and he’s on just a one-year deal. Dantzler is clearly the guy they are looking to build around, and they’ll use this draft to find another cornerback who can become Peterson’s replacement opposite him.

That’s the perfect situation for Taylor. He could be taken in a later round, but the Vikings would spend a lot of time paying attention to him and giving him a fair chance to start. Then, after a year of developing, he’d be ready to take on a larger role in 2022.

Heck, if he goes to Minnesota, Taylor could situationally see a lot of action as a rookie. Former Tennessee football defensive back Justin Coleman was discovered by Minnesota despite being an undrafted free agent, so they have a history with such players. That means they may give Taylor a more thorough look.