Getty Wisconsin RB Jonathan Taylor
Chances are if you’ve paid even the slightest attention to college football over recent years, you’ve heard the name Jonathan Taylor come up a time or two.
The record-breaking running back for the Wisconsin Badgers has NFL scouts and fans salivating to get their hands on the uber-talented player out of Salem, New Jersey.
Yet, in terms of Taylor’s perceived draft stock at the moment, he’s been a bit all over the place. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller currently has Taylor going in the second round of this year’s draft, 54th overall, and the fourth running back off the board.
Kyle Crabb of the Draft Network is a bit higher on Jonathan Taylor than the masses at the moment. Reid currently pegs Taylor as the 18th overall player in the entire Draft class, one spot ahead of Georgia’s D’Andre Swift.
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Jonathan Taylor’s NFL Draft Profile
Pros: Taylor passed Herschel Walker this season to record the most rushing yards ever by a college football player through their junior season. Taylor averaged an insane 1,977 over his three seasons at Wisconsin, including a nearly 2,200 yard campaign in 2018.
The running back constantly runs behind his pads, yet is patient enough to wait for plays to develop. Weighing in at around 220 lbs. he still posses impressive enough speed to accelerate through the line and hit the next level, despite his intuitive running style and patience.
Taylor is the only running back in college football to have four games of 200+ yards rushing this season.
The most promising aspect of Taylor’s game is one that had many scouts worried about him heading into the season. After catching just eight receptions in each of his first two seasons, Taylor hauled in 22 receptions and five receiving touchdowns in 2019. While he’s not Alvin Kamara or Christian McCaffrey, Taylor demonstrated soft hands and the ability to line up in multiple spots throughout the lineup.
Cons: He’s seen a ginormous workload during his time at Wisconsin. Over his three seasons as a Badger, he’s touched the ball 923 times.
He’s benefited from Wisconsin’s offensive line opening up gaping holes more times than not. Also, he’s struggled with ball security at times, putting the ball on the ground five times in 2019 and 11 times total in his college career. He still needs to grow as a receiver.
Despite owning a career 6.66 yards per carry average, Taylor saw his greatest struggles this season against high-end competition, most notably Ohio State. In the game with the Buckeyes, Taylor racked up a meager 2.6 yards per carry on the day.
Summary: Jonathan Taylor is one of the best running backs in the 2019 NFL Draft. In terms of just running the football, there may not be a better player in this class. Taylor has the traits and size to function as a workhorse back in the league.
The Wisconsin Badger will battle it out all Draft season with fellow studs such as D’Andre Swift, Najee Harris, and JK Dobbins for the honor of being the top running back off the board come late April.
Projections: Round 2
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