There was a point not long ago when Darrell Taylor looked like the next big thing for the Seattle Seahawks’ defense. The size was there.
The burst off the edge? Legit.
The potential? Off the charts.
He had the traits you look for in a modern-day pass rusher-long, explosive, and capable of wrecking a game off the edge. Before the 2020 NFL Draft, Taylor even drew comparisons to DeMarcus Lawrence, a Pro Bowl-caliber edge who, in a twist of fate, now lines up for the Seahawks himself.
But here’s the key difference between the two: Lawrence built his reputation on relentless effort, a guy who practices like he plays. Taylor, for all his athletic gifts, came into the league with questions about his motor-and unfortunately for Seattle, those questions didn’t go away once he hit the NFL.
Taylor never got off the ground in year one. Injuries wiped out his entire rookie season and spilled into his second.
But when he finally got healthy in 2022, he showed flashes of what made him such a high pick. Down the stretch, with the Seahawks in the thick of a playoff push, Taylor turned it on-6.5 sacks in the final six games, finishing the year with a team-high 9.5 sacks.
It was the kind of finish that makes coaches and fans alike believe a breakout is coming.
But the numbers didn’t tell the whole story. Taylor’s sack total was strong, no doubt, but his overall production was limited-just 26 combined tackles across the season.
For comparison, most starting edge rushers playing similar snaps were far more active against the run and in pursuit. Taylor was starting to look like a classic boom-or-bust edge: dangerous when he hit home, but inconsistent and one-dimensional.
Seattle gave him another shot in 2023, hoping that late-season surge would carry over. It didn’t.
Boye Mafe emerged as the team’s top outside rusher, and Uchenna Nwosu, when healthy, looked like a reliable complement. Taylor, meanwhile, faded into the background.
The Seahawks decided to move on, flipping their former second-round pick to the Bears for a sixth-rounder just before the 2024 season kicked off.
At first, it looked like Chicago had struck gold. In his Bears debut against Tennessee, Taylor exploded for two sacks and eight tackles-his most impactful game as a pro.
The performance had some wondering if Seattle had given up too soon. But Seahawks fans had seen this before: a flash of brilliance followed by a long stretch of silence.
That’s exactly what happened. Over the next 15 games, Taylor recorded just one more sack and 24 tackles.
The spark was gone. Again.
Still, there was one more team willing to take a swing. The Houston Texans, always on the hunt for pass-rushing help, brought Taylor into the fold this past offseason. With head coach DeMeco Ryans leading the charge-a former linebacker who knows a thing or two about maximizing defensive talent-there was hope that Taylor could finally tap into his potential.
But that chapter has followed the same script. Taylor has played in only four games this season for Houston, spending most weeks as a healthy scratch.
His stat line? Three tackles.
No sacks. When he’s active, it’s mostly for special teams duty.
And yet, his name surfaced again at the trade deadline. He’s still just 28 years old.
He still has that 9.5-sack season on his résumé. For teams desperate for edge help, that kind of profile can be tempting.
But no one bit.
Now, Taylor remains buried on Houston’s depth chart, waiting for another opportunity that may never come. Maybe an injury opens a door.
Maybe a team takes a late-season flyer. But the clock is ticking.
Three years ago, he was leading the Seahawks in sacks and looked like a cornerstone piece of their future. Today, he’s fighting to stay on a roster.
The talent has never been the issue. The question has always been whether Taylor can put it all together-consistently, week after week. And as of now, that answer remains elusive.