A tear of the lateral meniscus in a knee ended the senior season of Pitt starting left tackle Branson Taylor. The ensuring recovery from surgery prevented Taylor from taking part in drills at the NFL combine, too.
Five months of frustration and rehab, though, melted away when Taylor was finally cleared for workouts and took part in Pitt’s Pro Day late last month.
“Feeling good as new,” Taylor proudly told reporters that day at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “One-hundred percent.
“I felt pretty good, I felt pretty confident, I think I turned some heads today.”
Taylor apparently turned some heads in management of the Los Angeles Chargers. That club took him with the 199th overall pick in the sixth round of the draft Saturday.
LA Bound! ⚡️
Branson Taylor // Round 6 // Pick 199@btay1k | @chargers #H2P ➡️ @NFLDraft ➡️ @NFL pic.twitter.com/dc9a7BQaYK
— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) April 26, 2025
Taylor (6-foot-6, 321 pounds) could project at either tackle or guard in the NFL. He became Pitt’s starting left tackle late in the 2022 season and, aside from a three-game stint on the right side the following season, held onto the gig until suffering his knee injury midway through this past campaign.
A co-captain as a redshirt senior, Taylor made 21 starts among his 45 appearances for the Panthers. He was invited to the combine but did no on-field work, instead participating in interviews with teams.
