It took until Day 3 of the NFL Draft, but the Texas Tech Red Raider finally heard his name. Safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson will be selected 104th overall (fourth round) by the Arizona Cardinals.
This marks the eighth year in a row that at least one Red Raider has been drafted. Last year, the only player was defensive end Tyree Wilson, who was selected seventh overall by the Las Vegas Raiders.
For Taylor-Demerson, the progression from unheralded recruit to NFL draft pick was a bit of an improbability. In the 2019 class, the Oklahoma native was rated only the No. 1,956 player in the nation by 247Sports.
Interestingly, he only played running back in high school, but converted to safety when he arrived in Lubbock. The change proved to be a wise one, as Taylor-Demerson would go on to have the most productive career of any Red Raider defenseman in a while.
With 224 career tackles and 10 interceptions, he was a mainstay of the Red Raider defense. He also had 33 passes defensed during his time with the Scarlets and Black.
Second-team All-Big 12 player Taylor Demerson made a name for himself during the pre-draft process. He impressed at the East-West Shrine Bowl and then at the NFL Combine, running the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds, the fastest time of any safety to compete in the event.
All of that led to an opportunity with the Cardinals, a franchise in need of help in the secondary. In 2023, Arizona allowed the third-most passing touchdowns in the NFL and also had the fourth-most net yards gained on pass attempts.
But Taylor-Demerson will learn the ropes by watching Budda Baker, one of the most productive safeties in the NFL. The seventh-year pro recorded 737 tackles and seven picks over his career.
On the other hand, Baker may be nearing the end of his playing career. He started just 12 games last season and had zero interceptions in 2023.
Is it time for Taylor-Demerson to push for an immediate role in Arizona's secondary? Maybe so, but even if he doesn't, he could be a key piece for the Cardinals in the future.
This is a great landing spot for Taylor Demerson. Arizona is a team in the midst of a major rebuild, so they will value young players and give them a chance to make a difference.
Everyone who watched Taylor-Demerson in Lubbock is confident he has the physical and mental structure to play on Sunday. Now he has that opportunity and I have no doubt he will make the most of it.
