San Francisco 49ers rookie defensive lineman Jullian Taylor received a lot of playing time in the exhibition opener against the Dallas Cowboys last week. He played 32 snaps in the game, which was second among 49ers defensive linemen.
Taylor was credited with three tackles and a sack against the Cowboys. Pro Football Focus had him with two quarterback hits and a tackle for a loss.
"I thought Jullian did a good job (against Dallas)," defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said on Sunday. "He competed. He represented all of the things that he has shown throughout practice, and that's violence, that relentlessness that we like. Improved his hand placement a little bit over the course of the game."
Still, Saleh knows that Taylor is far from a finished product and has a lot on which to improve. The rookie had just 15 games of experience at Temple as he entered the draft. Taylor didn't even pick up football until his senior year in high school. He also has to prove that he can overcome the injury bug that plagued him in college.
"As far as a growth standpoint, he really does have a long way to go with hand placement," Saleh said. "There was sometimes you can see it in the game where he just created knockback and separation, and it looked awesome. Then, there's times where he got too much forward-leaning, face and chest, and all that stuff."
Taylor will likely continue to see a significant number of reps in practice and snaps during Saturday's exhibition matchup at NRG Stadium against the Houston Texans. The 49ers defensive front is still without defensive lineman Arik Armstead, and Solomon Thomas is in the concussion protocol after an impact he sustained against the Cowboys.
"He plays nasty," veteran defensive tackle Earl Mitchell said of Taylor following Wednesday's joint practice with the Texans. "I think that's a tribute to his natural nature. He's young, and he's trying to play as fast as he can. He's raw, but he's going to learn a lot, and he has a bright future. I'm excited for him. He definitely plays as hard as he can, and that's what we need — a physical front."
The 49ers brass are hoping they hit seventh-round gold two years in a row. The team made safety Adrian Colbert, who enters the season as a starter, a seventh-round selection last year. San Francisco drafted both Taylor and wide receiver Richie James, who has also had an impressive offseason, during the seventh round of this year's draft.
"We're excited about where he's going, but he's got a long way to go," Saleh said.
