49ers’ 2019 ‘Who Is?’ series: Defensive tackle Jullian Taylor

San Francisco 49ers then-rookie defensive tackle Jullian Taylor showed some promise in the 2018 preseason. But after limited use the rest of the year, what happens in 2019 with an awfully deep defensive line?

For much of the San Francisco 49ers‘ 2018 preseason, rookie defensive tackle Jullian Taylor was a player to watch.

During that stretch, the former Temple Owl managed four tackles, two sacks and two quarterback hits. And while exhibition stats should always be taken with a grain of salt, those efforts certainly influenced the Niners’ decision to keep their seventh-round NFL Draft pick on the 53-man roster entering the regular season.

But Taylor wasn’t much of a factor during the regular season, appearing in just six contests and registering seven tackles over the course of his rookie year:

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/8/2019.

Entering year two of his pro career, Taylor is looking at an awfully deep competition along San Francisco’s defensive line. A number of depth players, with whom Taylor will compete, have been pushed down the chart, following the offseason additions of edge rushers Dee Ford and Nick Bosa.

As such, Taylor is vying for one of those key reserve roles. What will he have to do to make the cut?

Why Jullian Taylor Improves in 2019

Taylor wasn’t much of a sack artist at the collegiate level, picking up just one quarterback takedown over his three seasons played there. He did have 11 tackles for a loss his senior year, though. So, when combined with his two preseason sacks from 2018, there’s a bit of encouragement his pass-rush abilities have been honed some.

Also on the plus side, Taylor’s 6-foot-5, 280-pound frame suggests some quality versatility. The Niners could feasibly line him up almost anywhere along the line, and he’d be a decent fit, size wise.

Taylor will need to take advantage of any possibility like this.

Why Jullian Taylor Regresses

It’s hard to pinpoint the exact reasons why Taylor saw so little of the field last season. True, the 49ers defensive line was already deep in 2018, and the reserve roles were largely cut out already.

But it’s also possible whatever Taylor had going for him during the preseason last year simply didn’t carry over into regular-season practices. Those are the sessions crucial for a coaching staff deciding who to activate and who to not.

The fact Taylor didn’t see action until Week 12, when the Niners were well out of the playoff picture, indicates he might be only a shade above a camp body-type player.

Chances of Making the 49ers’ 53-Man Roster in 2019

Just because Taylor hung around on the regular-season roster for the entirety of last season doesn’t guarantee the same will happen this year.

Taylor will have to beat out at least one, potentially two of the following defensive linemen: Ronald Blair, Sheldon Day and Kentavius Street. Both Blair and Day saw significantly more time on the field last season than Taylor, and neither player played poorly enough to suggest a change was warranted. Street, meanwhile, is coming off his 2018 ACL tear. Yet his sheer strength is something San Francisco might bank on more than Taylor’s limited impressive streak in the preseason.

As a result, Taylor is looking a lot like he’s on the weaker side of the roster bubble entering training camp.

He’ll need more than just a strong performance in camp and in the preseason. It will be inherently necessary to outperform the names listed above to hang around once more.