Jullian Taylor has missed the past two seasons, having seen an injury during his second 49ers campaign throw his career off course. But the former seventh-round pick will have another chance soon.
The Vikings agreed to a one-year deal with Taylor on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. While Taylor has not been out of football altogether since his December 2019 ACL tear, he has not seen the field since that setback. This signing comes under new Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who was with the 49ers when they drafted Taylor in 2018.
San Francisco drafted Taylor out of Temple and used him as a rotational backup in six games in 2018 and ’19. Taylor played roughly a quarter of the 49ers’ defensive snaps when active, recovering a fumble and making four tackles for loss for the Super Bowl LIV-bound San Francisco squad in 2019. The Titans signed Taylor on June 3 of last year but cut him a day later.
Minnesota added Harrison Phillips from Buffalo in free agency this year and has Dalvin Tomlinson under contract. The Vikings are switching to primarily a 3-4 scheme under new defensive coordinator Ed Donatell. They will give Taylor, 27, a shot to revive his career.
Nothing wrong with that. Could be a hidden gem.