Home Steelers Draft SCB Steelers’ Draft Journal: Taco Charlton

SCB Steelers’ Draft Journal: Taco Charlton

by Steeldad

Our look at potential edge rushers continues with a look a guy who has come on of late from the Big Ten.

Taco Charlton, Michigan

6’6″ 272 pounds

What’s to Like: Charlton lined up on both sides of the Michigan defense and seemed to have  a decent amount of success from each side… Overall size and athleticism are impressive… Has a very good spin move (in both directions) that was effective against several of the top tackles he faced… Good closing speed for a guy his size when approaching the quarterback… Not great, but a good first step… Long arms give him a distinct advantage on many blockers.

What’s Concerning: While he played both sides of the formation, he never did so from a two-point stance and that’s something he’d need to do with the Steelers… His overall game tape gets better the older he gets but he is still lacking urgency at times… Not overly aggressive… Doesn’t pursue very well or with the type of reckless abandon I like to see… Rarely if ever asked to drop in coverage… Not great at setting the edge and often took too long to diagnose a play to his side.

The Verdict: I’ve already seen Charlton going in some mocks as high as 13th and I have to believe that is almost entirely on potential. Don’t get me wrong, I think he could be a serious threat off of the edge for many teams but only in specialized situations out of the gate. For his size he has really good hip movement and dips very well around the corner. Teams will have to decide if that athleticism can translate into dropping into coverage. He will also need to add some strength and show teams he’s willing to “get after it” if he’s forced to play over the tackle or inside.

All 2017 Steel City Blitz Draft Player Journals

Photo courtesy: CBS Sports

Video courtesy: Draftbreakdown.com

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