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Below is a recap of what defensive end Devin Taylor had to say about being picked in the fourth round by the Detroit Lions on Saturday. (Quotes provided by the Lions.)
On the strengths of his game: "I get off the ball pretty quick. I'm able to defend the run as well as get to the quarterback faster and force him into making bad throws and bad decisions."
On his reaction to being selected by the Lions: "Literally, one of my friends that was with me we were just talking about the Detroit Lions right before they called me. So, it was kind of ironic. We were just talking about what kind of player personnel they have there at the time and how I could possibly help out with that."
On how he can help the Detroit defense: "The addition of having the interior linemen will help as far as a defensive end standpoint because when they get pressure in the pocket in the middle, we can get pressure coming off the edge. The quarterback really won't have anywhere to go at all."
On what contact he had with the Lions leading up to the draft: "No, I talked to them at the East-West game. I talked to the general manager, the defensive line coach, Coach Washburn and stuff like that there. Then I also met with them at the NFL Combine."
On how he managed to put on weight before the Combine: "Really, I pretty much only added maybe like five or six pounds just working out from the spring. I didn't do anything special to gain weight. It kind of happened naturally."
On only benching 14 reps at the Combine: "I've got like 36-inch arms so it takes a little while for me to actually build up my upper body to be strong enough to sit there and bench like 20, 30 reps. So, I knew that wasn't going to be one of my strong points going in."
On if he prefers right or left defensive end: "I've played both sides, right and left end. Just more so, I guess my tape and stuff like that is from the left side. But I played the all-star game on the right side."
On playing opposite of South Carolina DE Jadeveon Clowney: "Actually, both of us were literally double-teamed in shifts almost every snap. They never really gave either one of us that many one-on-one opportunities getting back to the quarterback a lot of times."
On how good Clowney is: "He's a very good player. You know, he's a tremendous athlete. He's able to, I guess, make plays, like athletic ability plays that a lot of people normally would see him make that often."
On if he was ever overshadowed by Clowney's attention: "No, I never really had a problem with being the other guy on the other side. It never changed the way I played or anything. If anything, it just made me want to work harder."
On his conversation with Lions Assistant Defensive Line Coach Jim Washburn: "He told me that he liked me and everything. That's about all I can think of right now."
On what he knows about Detroit: "No, I've never actually been that far north before. So, it will be the first time."
On the farthest north he has been: "I've been up to Ohio but that's about it."
On playing on the Lions' defensive line: "I feel like it should be a good show to watch. If one of them doesn't make a play or something, then one of the ends like me or someone else will end up making the play."
On playing in the SEC: "It helped out a lot as far as being able to adjust to the speed I think the NFL plays with. I get more experience and playing time over the years, but other than that, the SEC always has high level of competition. So, it just keeps you working day in and day out, kind of like the NFL."
More from POD:
• Track the Lions' picks in our draft StoryStream
• Presenting the Lions' 2013 draft class