Darryl Tapp | The War Room | HoustonProFootball.com 
Defensive End/Outside Linebacker
Darryl Tapp
College: Virginia Tech
Year: Senior
Height: 6’1"
Weight: 257
Birthday: September 13, 1984
Darryl Tapp’s nickname, “Fast Forward,” suits him perfectly. He never slows down, whether it be in a game, on the practice field, in the weight room, or in the film room. Nobody is going to out-hustle Fast Forward.
Tapp understands the importance of leverage and combines textbook technique with impressive strength to defeat blockers. He has the vision to find the football even while he’s fighting through massive pileups on the line of scrimmage and the instincts not to be fooled on play action, draws, and misdirection plays. Tapp has also been part of the Virginia Tech tradition of great special teams players.
Tapp may struggle against taller offensive tackles in the NFL who will have a reach advantage on him, and he lacks the pure speed and quickness of a Dwight Freeney, who is also undersized but can blow past blockers. As a college defensive end, he lacks the experience dropping into coverage that might have helped him if he moves to linebacker at the next level.
Tapp’s best pro position may be outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense, but due to his style of play, he cannot be written off as a 4-3 weakside end despite his size limitations. Tapp also has the physical makeup and intangibles to merit consideration for a Tedy Bruschi-like move to inside linebacker in a 3-4 or middle linebacker in a 4-3. He should be a special teams standout early in his pro career and eventually work himself somewhere into the starting defensive lineup.
(profile written by Warren DeLuca)
Darryl Tapp’s 2005 Stats G TCK TFL SKS FF FR 13 48 14.5 10.0 3 0 
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