Philadelphia Eagles: Shakial Taylor could shake up CB battle at camp

If you’re looking for guys to really hone in on and pay attention to during Philadelphia Eagles training camp, Shakial Taylor is as good a guy as any to watch. Perhaps the most intriguing roster battle we’ll see over the month of August is the one featuring the cornerbacks, especially once we really begin to dig into who the favorites are to start opposite Darius Slay in base packages. Taylor’s name is one you may want to highlight or put an asterisk by.

A six-foot-tall and 175-pound cover guy out of Kansas, Taylor went undrafted in 2019 before landing with the Indianapolis Colts where he ran into, you guessed it, current defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. Coach Gannon was Indy’s cornerbacks coach at the time.

Shakial Taylor could shake up the Philadelphia Eagles cornerback battle.

So far, things haven’t exactly gone the way that Taylor would have liked during his NFL career. After notching 56 tackles, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, and five pass breakups with the Jayhawks over a 20-game stretch from 2017 to 2018, his professional resume consists of five games, a pass breakup, and seven tackles.

How did he get there? Well, after a great preseason and training camp under Gannon with the Colts in 2019, a concussion led Indy to believe that the best move would be to waive him with an injury settlement during final cuts. He re-signed with their practice squad in Week 5 of that season, and he was promoted to the active roster in October.

He’d be waived in November and has since spent time on the Denver Broncos and New York Giants rosters, but seeing him on Philly’s training camp roster makes one believe that, with his experience and the line that can be connected between both he and Coach Gannon, he has just as much of a shot to make this roster as Grayland Arnold, Kevon Seymour, Josiah Scott, Lavert Hill, Michael Jacquet, and Nate Meadors, all of whom will be involved in an intense battle for one of the final spots on the roster at the position.

Update: The Philadelphia Eagles and Steven Nelson agree to terms on a one-year deal on July 25th. Things are really getting interesting in the City of Brotherly Love. Taylor should still play a huge role in what Philly’s secondary looks like