For about a decade, Ike Taylor stood as a shining example of why the Pittsburgh Steelers were wise to shy away from the cornerback position in the first round. He was a testament to the fact that you could get a championship-caliber player in the mid-rounds or later who was just a bit rough around the edges if you put the work into it.
Despite his infamously slippery hands, Taylor was immensely physically talented, with exceptional, elite speed and height for the cornerback position. It was his sheer speed that allowed him to get on the field as early on in his career as he did, and it also helped prolong his career into a 12th season.