Taylor Decker Bio
Taylor Decker (born August 23, 1993) is an American professional football offensive tackle for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, where he earned consensus All-American honors. Selected by the Lions in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft, Decker has spent his entire professional career protecting the left side of Detroit’s offensive line.
Standing 6 feet 7 inches tall and weighing around 310 pounds during his playing days, Decker combines the frame and footwork that have made him one of the league’s most durable blindside protectors. He won a Pro Bowl selection in 2024 and remains a cornerstone of the Lions’ offensive front.
Early Life and Background
Taylor Decker was born on August 23, 1993, in Vandalia, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton in the Miami Valley region. He grew up in a community where high school football is a centerpiece of local life, and he attended Butler High School in Vandalia. At Butler, Decker developed into a three-year starter at left tackle, showing the kind of length and athleticism that college scouts look for in premier offensive line prospects.
Rivals.com rated Decker as a four-star recruit and ranked him as the 23rd-best offensive tackle in his recruiting class. He originally committed to the University of Notre Dame to play college football but later changed his commitment to Ohio State University. In addition to football, Decker played basketball in high school, a background that helped sharpen his coordination and footwork for the trenches.
His decision to flip from Notre Dame to Ohio State brought him into one of the strongest offensive line traditions in college football, setting the stage for his rise as a Buckeye.
Path to American Football
Decker arrived at Ohio State as a true freshman in 2012 and immediately got his first taste of major college football. He played in all 12 games that season, working mostly on special teams while logging 22 snaps on offense. The experience gave him a foundation in the Buckeyes’ system and prepared him for a larger role the following year.
In his sophomore season of 2013, Decker took over as a starter and started all 14 games at right tackle. The following year, he shifted to left tackle, where he became Ohio State’s only returning starter on the offensive line in 2014. He started all 15 games that season, including the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship victory over Oregon, capping his junior year with a national title.
By the end of his college career, Decker had earned consensus All-American recognition, Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year honors, and First-team All-Big Ten distinction in 2015, along with Second-team All-Big Ten recognition in 2014. Those accolades made him one of the most polished offensive line prospects heading into the 2016 NFL draft.
Taylor Decker Career
Early Career (2016)
The Detroit Lions selected Taylor Decker in the first round with the 16th overall pick of the 2016 NFL draft. On May 6, 2016, the Lions signed him to a fully guaranteed four-year, $10.96 million contract that included a signing bonus of $6.17 million. He stepped directly into the starting left tackle role and did not relinquish it.
In his rookie season, Decker started all 16 games at left tackle and was the only Lions player besides quarterback Matthew Stafford to play every offensive snap. His durability and steady play earned him a spot on the PFWA All-Rookie Team, and the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association named him the Lions Rookie of the Year for 2016.
Detroit Lions Era (2016–Present)
Decker’s second season was interrupted by injury. On June 6, 2017, it was revealed that he had undergone shoulder surgery and would miss four to six months. He began the 2017 season on the physically unable to perform list before being activated on November 11, 2017. Once back, he started the final eight games at left tackle and finished his second year with momentum.
On April 29, 2019, the Lions exercised the fifth-year option on Decker’s rookie contract, locking him in through the 2020 season. On September 1, 2020, he signed a five-year, $70.35 million contract extension with the Lions, cementing his status as a long-term building block. Later that season, Decker revealed on the podcast Pardon My Take that he had played the start of the 2020 campaign while dealing with appendicitis, underscoring his toughness.
On September 11, 2021, Decker was placed on injured reserve after undergoing finger surgery. He was activated on November 2, 2021 and appeared in and started nine games that season. In 2022, he started all 17 games and was awarded the media-friendly Good Guy Award by the Detroit Sports Media Association and the Detroit chapter of the Pro Football Writers Association. On January 2, 2022, against the Seattle Seahawks, he caught his second career touchdown pass from Tim Boyle. In 2023, Decker appeared in and started 15 games, continuing his role as a steady presence up front.
On July 29, 2024, Decker and the Lions agreed to a three-year, $60 million contract extension, a deal that runs through the 2027 season and averages $20 million per year. In the 2024 season, he appeared in and started 14 games, and his strong play was recognized with a Pro Bowl selection.
Driving Style and Strengths
Decker is widely regarded as a classic blindside pass protector, using his length, balance, and foot quickness to anchor against edge rushers. His background as a basketball player shows in his lateral mobility, while his three-year starting experience at Ohio State prepared him for the speed and complexity of NFL pass rushers. He pairs well with Detroit’s quarterback and has been a model of consistency in both run blocking and pass protection.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the most memorable moments of Decker’s career came on December 2, 2018, when he caught a touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford and threw the ball into the stands in celebration. After the game, he tweeted that it was his first touchdown ever, having played football since the first grade, and asked to be put in contact with the fan who caught it. By December 3, 2018, he had been reunited with the football. He added a second career touchdown reception on January 2, 2022, against the Seattle Seahawks.
Taylor Decker Career Wins
Taylor Decker’s career is highlighted less by personal win totals and more by championships and honors earned at each level. His biggest team triumph came with Ohio State, where he started every game of the 2014 season, including the College Football Playoff National Championship victory over Oregon that delivered the Buckeyes a national title.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the national championship, Decker earned consensus All-American honors, was named Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, and collected First-team All-Big Ten recognition in 2015, with a Second-team All-Big Ten nod in 2014. In the NFL, he was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2016, received the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association Rookie of the Year award for 2016, won the Detroit chapter Good Guy Award in 2022, and earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2024.
Taylor Decker Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Publicly available information about Taylor Decker’s immediate family background is limited. He was raised in Vandalia, Ohio, and came of age in a community where high school football was a central part of family and community life.
Personal Life
Decker has kept much of his personal life private. Verified public details about a spouse, partner, or children are not available in the sources reviewed for this profile.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into the 2025 season, Taylor Decker remains the Lions’ starting left tackle and a central figure of Detroit’s offensive line. His three-year, $60 million extension signed in July 2024 runs through 2027, reflecting the organization’s belief that he is a key part of the team’s championship window. Coming off a 2024 Pro Bowl selection, he will be expected to set the tone in pass protection and run blocking for a Lions offense that has emerged as one of the more explosive units in the league.
Detroit’s outlook for 2025 hinges significantly on the play of its offensive line, and Decker’s health will be a major storyline. After managing a finger injury in 2021 and playing through appendicitis in 2020, he has shown a track record of toughness, but staying on the field for a full 17-game slate will be important for both his individual statistics and the Lions’ playoff push.
If Decker can continue his Pro Bowl-level play into 2025, he will further cement his legacy as one of the most dependable left tackles in Lions history and a foundational piece of the team’s push toward a deep postseason run.