The Indianapolis Colts are hoping to return from their summer break on July 28 for training camp, barring any changes. We will be previewing the majority of the roster as the summer progresses.
Name: Jonathan Taylor
Position: RB
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 226
Age: 21
Free Agent Year: 2024
Background
A two-time Doak Walker Award winner, Taylor comes to the NFL with a ridiculous production profile. He rushed for 6,174 yards and 50 touchdowns during his three seasons at Wisconsin.
The Colts believed they needed to add more explosive players to the offense during the 2020 NFL Draft. After selecting wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. at No. 34, the Colts traded up three spots later in the second round to take Taylor at No. 41.
Expected Role
This will be a point of debate over the next few months as training camp and the preseason arrive. We might not even get a clear answer until halfway through the season. But Taylor will be involved heavily in the offense from Day 1. The Colts see his talent and skill set working perfectly behind the elite offensive line.
It should be expected that Taylor will split snaps and carries on early downs with Marlon Mack, who enters a contract year. What that split will look like isn’t yet clear, but both players should be expected to see work.
2020 Outlook
The Colts traded up for Taylor for a reason. They want to use him heavily behind the offensive line while giving the unit more explosive plays from the backfield. Taylor has a three-down skill set and while he will cede passing work to Nyheim Hines, he is the future of the backfield.
But for 2020, expectations should be tempered to start. There is certainly a world where he takes the bulk of early-down work during the second half of the season, but the Colts still really like Mack. Working in a tandem will limit Taylor’s upside, but the offense as a whole should benefit from the tandem working together.
Since 2011, running backs selected in the second round have averaged about 125 carries in their rookie season. The Colts traded up for Taylor so his carry count should be higher than the average but still likely under the 200 mark.
Bottom Line
Taylor is a fantastic talent for the Colts to have in the backfield both now and for the future. He will split some work with Mack and Hines, but it will be exciting to see this explosive playmaker work behind the elite offensive line in Indy.