At Michigan, Taco Charlton helped anchor a fearsome defensive line with his 6’6 frame and particular pass-rushing prowess. With that size alone, he’s a tantalizing NFL prospect. Now he’s a member of the Dallas Cowboys, a first-round pick on Thursday.
Cowboys pick Taco Charlton’s amazing name, explained as best it can be
The Michigan pass rusher’s birth name is Vidauntae, and he likes tacos, but that’s not where the nickname comes from.
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
He’s got to fill his frame out after weighing in at the combine at 277 pounds, and the biggest question with him is one that plagues a lot of college linemen: can he be consistent?
Our Detroit Lions blog, Pride of Detroit, selected Charlton to stay close to home in our SB Nation team blogs mock draft and gave this breakdown of his skills:
It seems every draft guru has a different opinion on Charlton. Some see him as a top-10 pick; some see him as a second-round pick. I see a pass-rushing specialist who excelled once Michigan changed to a defensive scheme that better served Charlton’s skill set. He can get to the quarterback with his speed, handwork and balance around the edge, but he’s also an above-average run defender. When paired with Ezekiel Ansah on the defensive line, Charlton would make a great closed end on the left side.
But does he actually like tacos or not?
Charlton has only recently come around to actually liking tacos. As a child, he resisted the food associated with the nickname.
He got the nickname, “Taco,” as a young kid. And because all his friends thought that meant he loved tacos, he resisted, as kids do, and decided he wouldn’t like tacos.
His attitude changed in college.
“Now, I love tacos all the time,” Michigan senior defensive end Taco Charlton said Sunday. “Whether it’s Taco Bell or I go make my own tacos or whatever.”
He was born Vidauntae Charlton, but eventually, his mother and grandmother thought, for some still-vague reason, that “Taco” was a good fit.
Regardless, here is Charlton on film as a taco:
And either way, his personal culinary skills transcend that of Mexican cuisine.
His Twitter handle is @thesupremetaco, so by now, he’s yielded to tacos.
But we’re still waiting on the brand synergy opportunity that is Charlton combined with Taco Bell, where he says he still eats, enjoying the Gordita Crunch.
Hopefully, after he walks across the stage in Philadelphia, our dreams will come true and Charlton will get a personally branded taco at the popular chain.
Tacos are a popular theme among edge rushers at the top of this year’s draft board.
Likely first overall pick Myles Garrett went to college at Texas A&M, and he’s said that his wish for whichever city drafts him is that it opens up his favorite College Station taco franchise.
“A player of Charlton’s stature isn’t expected to explode off the snap and beat opposing offensive linemen with his speed and quickness, but he flashed such potential early and often in his final season in Ann Arbor. He can effectively turn his speed to power when engaging offensive tackles along the edge en route to the quarterback, which bodes well for his ability to disrupt the pocket and force arrant throws.” — Read More at Maize N Brew
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