Taylor Decker had a very good 2020 season at left tackle for the Detroit Lions. The veteran played quite well as a bruising run blocker and posted his best season in pass protection. The strong play earned Decker a spot in the top 20 overall tackles from Pro Football Focus in their rankings entering the 2021 NFL season.
Decker checks in at No. 19, sandwiched between Taylor Lewan and Isaiah Wynn. The rankings do not differentiate between left and right tackle.
Decker’s health and consistency both saw an uptick in 2020 that gets prominently noted in the commentary,
It may have taken him a few years, but Decker is finally back to the level of play from his rookie campaign in 2016. That year, he produced an 81.9 PFF grade that ranked 14th among all tackles and still stands as the seventh-best mark PFF has seen from a rookie. But after Decker missed the first half of 2017, it took him until 2020 to reach the same heights. Last season, he cracked the top 10 in PFF grade with an 82.0 mark that was anchored by the fifth-best pass-blocking grade among tackles.
It’s a positive trend for Decker, who should continue to ascend with some stability at left guard in promising young Jonah Jackson to his inside shoulder.
PFF also ranked first-rounder Penei Sewell at No. 31, a promising look but one that seems a little trigger-happy considering Sewell has yet to play a snap in the NFL or at right tackle.
