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Small note.
Taylor Rapp is a dual USA/Canadian citizen of Chinese ancestry.
Go Canada!
From Ourlads where he is listed as their 5th ranked guard.
Three year starter, forty straight games. From Allen, TX. Part of the offensive line that was the recipient of the coveted Joe Moore Award as the top offensive line in college football. Received All-Big 12 honors three consecutive years including second team in 2018. Projects inside due to a lack of length to play on the outside. Plays in a two point stance where he locks out his long arms and steers pass rushers up the field or down inside. Generally blocks one-on-one with little help. Steps down inside to seal any inside pass rush then works the rusher around the QB. Good initial quickness both as a pass protector and run blocker, but is inconsistent as a finisher. Gets a little sloppy in his technique at times on skilled pass rushers and they beat him around the edge. Plays square in pass protection with a good base. Shuffles back and does a nice job on twist pickups. Shows good flexibility. Flashes toughness and explosive play. Works to keep his hands inside the frame. Started two games at RT and last fall played LT. He struggled with his footwork early in the year. Flashes a punch that can stun a pass rusher. Has good lateral agility as a pass protector. Must consciously bend his knees. Eventual starter and likely at guard. (second/third round)
From Ourlads
Junior entry and two year starter from Batesville, MS. First-team All-America in 2018 after he averaged nearly nine yards per carry. A big play back in every sense of the word who scored 11 TDs from 50+ yards last season alone. He is an all to nothing type of player who doesn’t exactly have elite speed or agility, but is a quick-reaction type mover who plays with hunger and desire. He is a smart runner who understands situations, not just a back that is always looking for the homer. While at the stats may have been inflated from poor defensive play by the opponents, Henderson can’t be ignored. There is a natural feel and knack for finding space that will translate at the next level, albeit he won’t be and every down player. Decisive and quick-footed that can adjust at the final moment to miss the meat of a hit from a defender. Contact balance is a plus with the kind of hunger that can be a weapon in and of itself. A lot of desire behind those pads. A slasher who can plant his foot and hit his top speed in a blink. Long runs were his specialty. Feeds off adrenaline and energy more that most. Can alter his running style on command. Can slide and slither his way through traffic but will put his head down and bull rush a pile. Doesn’t always get the push when he enters traffic. Needs to widen his base to create more leg drive. Doesn’t have a lot of experience as a blocker and the few looks he had weren’t impressive. Small hands combined with four fumbles over the last 344 carries can lead to ball security questions. 2018 stats: 1909 yds, 8.9 npc, 22 TD, 19 rec, 295 yds, 15.5 ypr, 3 TD, 10-124 KOR, 12.4 avg. (fourth/fifth round)
Ourlads
Junior entry and three year starter from Bellingham, WA. Versatile prospect with the ability to play close to the line in the box, the outside flat and the deep hole. Often aligns in the box at LB depth showing instinctive reactions and quick change of direction versus the run. Natural knee bender. His experience in a variety of coverage playing quarters, one high and the short flat. Tracks well moving downhill from a deep alignment to make a tackle in space. Solid fundamental tackling skill with knee bend, explosiveness and finish Rarely misses. Explosive taking on blocks showing no fear throwing his body into bigger blockers. Powerful punch for his size getting quick separation from a blocker. Takes proper angles to the ball whenever he is on the field. Contains the edge run and squeezes running lanes back inside. Solid zone cover skills with awareness of multiple receivers in a zone. Adept at playing the short zones getting under deep routes and playing up to the flat. Reacts well on the throw often making big hits. Shows good range over the top with a closing burst. Has the speed to cover slots and TEs on vertical routes. Mirror ability is average and will get separated on a cut at times but recovers well. Slight tightness in some reactions such as centerfield turn, and turn and run but this is minimized with closing ability and positioning. Ball skills are average as he tends to go for the hit rather than working the catch point. Can be a little late arriving at the ball. Rapp has solid tools as an NFL starter in the right scheme. His run support is ability gibes him a fit as a nickel hybrid for many teams. Has outstanding kick coverage skill and has been productive in that area. 2018 stats: 59 T, 6 TFL, 5 sacks, 5 PBU, 2 INT. (First/second round)
After the Super Bowl XXXVI loss to New England I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that I was distraught. That loss impacted me in a way that just wasn’t logical. I’ve never rematches that game. That game came at a different time In my life and with a different set of expectations. Although I knew that the point spread was unrealistic, I expected a Rams win back then. The way that that loss unfolded affected me emotionally and physically. Anyway, 17 years later I’m at a different place and my Super Bowl LIII expectations were much different than they were in February of 2002. I was over this loss before I went to bed. The Rams suffered neither a blow out loss nor a gut wrenching collapse. The game hung in the balance right until,late in the 4th. A young Rams team played hard, but lost to as seasoned a Super Bowl squad one will ever see. So it goes.
EDIT: An important factor for me going into this game is that after 16 years of futility, I was just grateful that the Rams even made it to the Super Bowl. As a result I vowed to enjoy and appreciate the moment. So that is another reason for my equanimous reaction to the loss.
