Draft Profile: Jonathan Taylor

April 18, 2020 /
  • Height: 5’11”
  • Weight: 219lb
  • College: Wisconsin
  • Tape watched: Illinois, Ohio State, Iowa, Michigan State
  • NFL Comparison: Clinton Portis

Pros

  • Vision
    Jonathan Taylor navigates run lanes extremely well and efficient. He doesn’t waste energy or time finding holes in the offensive line. Taylor trusts his offensive line and scheme, and when plays break down he works well to prevent negative plays. Taylor excels at identifying cutback lanes where his speed can change a game.
  • Evasiveness
    Taylor has very elusive hips that make defenders miss. He slides through a lot of contact with his lateral agility.
  • Athleticism
    Taylor checks every box for a prototypical NFL running back. He has the height, weight, speed, and agility traits that fit the mold of today’s coveted all-purpose back. Taylor can win in so many ways, his floor in the draft is the late second round to an early day three pick as a result. Taylor can be an outside zone runner that wins with pure speed, or he can pick up difficult yardage with his strong frame and strength between tackles.
  • Receiving Game
    Finally “featured” in his junior season, Taylor caught 26 balls for just over 250 yards. He scored at an absurd 19% rate when he caught the football! After only catching eight catches both in 2017 and 2018, Taylor proved he can be as dynamic as a patch catcher as he is toting the rock.

    Taylor has plenty of promise as a pass protector as well. He isn’t afraid to use his 220 pound frame to shield defenders and take big hits.
  • Production
    While success in college doesn’t necessarily translate perfectly to the NFL, especially for Wisconsin backs, there is no back in the draft close to Taylor’s production. Taylor amassed over 6,000 rushing yards with 50 touchdowns. He has excelled in pressure situations and big games on key drives. He will be no stranger to the pressures of the NFL and brings an elite pedigree to offenses.

Cons

  • Ball Security
    Everyone that pays a modest amount of attention to college football knows Taylor has fumble problems. 18 fumbles in 41 career games is a red flag. Some of those fumbles came in key clock-killing drives, and were matters of the defender wanting the football more. Ball security is job security, right?
  • Burst/Agressiveness
    While this is nitpicking, I’d like to see Taylor play with more urgency at the line of scrimmage once he makes the decision on where to go with the football. The patience and efficient running that makes him so successful can also hurt his game. For a back with his power, Taylor could show more aggressiveness when picking up short yardage.
  • Mileage
    This one will come down purely to the exec sending in the draft card. There is something to be said about college backs with low tire tread and the NFL draft trend at the position. Josh Jacobs was selected in the first round last year and was far from the starting back at Alabama and only had 120 carries his final year. That is less than half of the carries Taylor had last season. Taylor enters the NFL with 926 college carries and that may be enough wear and tear to push him down draft boards.

Overview

Taylor has slowly slipped in consensus running back rankings since the end of the college football season. While I think there may be real concerns with his usage and fumble issues, I believe a lot of this is draft analysis exhaustion. Taylor is an incredible NFL prospect who blew the doors off of his combine. Pair that with his elite production in college and he may very well be the first running back selected. He has all of the tools to succeed in the NFL, whether he carves up second levels with his vision and silky hips, or he punishes corners on outside runs. Taylor can be a true franchise three-down running back.