Richard Taylor
— Richard Taylor (@RichardTaylor5_) April 29, 2025
This one’s a bit out of the box, but arguably the most exciting pick of the bunch. Richard Taylor is 24, out of contract at St Mirren, and unlikely to renew. He’s a former Burnley youth prospect who rebuilt his career via a stint with Irish club Waterford and has become one of the Scottish Premiership’s most highly-rated defenders outside the Old Firm.
Taylor can play centrally or at left-back, but has mainly featured on the left of a back three — ideal for our hybrid system. He’s been clocking top 10% positional metrics in tackles, duels, blocks, and recoveries, and even stands out for progressive passing and chance creation. At 6’2”, he offers aerial presence too.
The caveat? Competition. If he’s been flagged by us, he’ll have been flagged by others too. But with Taylor available on a free, and with Lincoln’s proven track record of turning SPL talent into valuable assets (hello, Erhahon), we may just have the pull. Fun fact: he’s even played Sunday league for SE Dons and wants to be a UFC fighter after retirement. You can’t make it up.