When the Indianapolis Colts traded up to select running back Jonathan Taylor in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the possibilities of his explosiveness behind the elite offensive line had fans and analysts giddy.
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While the overview of Taylor’s fit with the Colts is mostly positive, there have been some questions with his ability to safely secure the ball. Colts running back coach Tom Rathman, who has long prided himself on ball security, doesn’t feel it will be an issue.
Tom Rathman on Jonathan Taylor and ball security: “I don’t think there’s going to be an issue there.”
Said Taylor understands the importance of ball security, and they’re already working on fundamentals on how to carry the ball. #Colts— George Bremer (@gmbremer) June 4, 2020
We’ve discussed that if there is one team to fix Taylor’s fumbling issues, it’s Rathman and the Colts. The entire backfield had just one fumble throughout the course of the 2019 campaign.
These solutions likely won’t come overnight. Taylor won’t automatically become a perfect ball carrier in terms of security, but Rathman has a track record of keeping the ball from hitting the ground. How quickly Taylor can improve will be a big factor in his development.
Not having the offseason to work through these issues doesn’t make it easy for a rookie in Taylor. Being able to coach and learn in a hands-on experience is better than simply working on his own, but Rathman is confident Taylor will be able to make up the time quickly.
Rathman adds the fact the team won’t have much, if at all, offseason work together on the field could hurt a guy like Taylor in the short-term, but points at Taylor’s smarts and pure talent as reasons why he can quickly catch up. https://t.co/o16UgTAOpx
— Andrew Walker (@AWalkerColts) June 4, 2020
Even with Marlon Mack also sharing the backfield on early downs, Taylor should be in for a solid workload. Second-round running backs don’t typically see a workhorse type of carry count, but he is still in a prime opportunity to make an immediate impact.
Those fumbling woes will have to be improved upon quickly, but the Colts are still the right spot for the rookie to develop his game in that area.
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