Ode to Jonathan Taylor

Ode to Jonathan Taylor

Jonathan Taylor is one of my favorite RBs to film review… EVER. He is simply a delight to watch. As he enters his NFL career, there are some very obvious differences that set him apart from other talented prospects in this class, which is deeper than my ex wife's vagina. 

As an overall prospect, I came up with a grade somewhere between Saquon and Chubb. With very similar characteristics to both.

Decision making

Oh my, he clearly processes information very fast and is very concise and deliberate when he makes moves in tight spaces, and in the open field. Showing excellent lateral quickness. But make no mistake, he is also a very patient runner. Yeah, I know, he played behind an excellent offensive line. Which, to me, makes that trait that much more impressive. Most backs with great lines tend to be impatient. He kind of reminds me of LeVeon Bell the way he presses on his blockers, making it easy for them to know which way he's deciding to go before he makes his cut. He reacts well to defensive penetration. When defenders meet him in the gap, he reacts fast and finds a solution, turning a 2 yard loss into a 2 yard gain. The single most translatable skill to the next level, except speed...

Speed

10.49 seconds in the 100m is blazing harder than Snoop Dogg. And it is obvious at the second level. Yeah, his 40 time was fast too. Logging a sub 4.4 shows burst, sure…. But the track star speed on long runs reminds me of Dalvin Cook. HE DOES NOT lose speed during runs of 50+ yards. Jonathan Taylor's 4.39 at 226lbs is the 15th-fastest weight-adjusted 40 yard dash time for a running back in NFL Combine history (out of 893 RBs) he is in a category with Saquon Barkley as fast as size/speed, and we all know, that is great company.

Yards after contact

You simply cant wrap this dude up and arm tackles wont work. With his speed, strength, quick decisions, and agility combo… Good luck. It will be needed. He consistently makes defenders whiff, and breaks tackles, ankles, and spirits of his opponents. He drags motherfuckers and pushes piles. My nipples are hard just thinking about it.

Receiving ability 

Although he wasn't used as often in the screen game or running routes out of the backfield, what I see is a guy who catches the ball fluently and without thinking. He is a natural, using his hands to bring it in, and while catching in stride passes, he doesn't lose speed or direction. He will be a monster in the screen game if utilized properly. 

Durability 

His injury history is as follows…..

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Bottom line 

Is he perfect? No. He has had some ball security issues which is fixable. Give Adrian Peterson or Tiki Barber a call bro. 

He has handled a massive workload and this can be a bit concerning to most, but not me. When drafting a running back in dynasty, I'm not looking to hold them into their 2nd contract anyways. 

Here's the deal….

I have zero concerns for him as a rusher, receiver, or pass blocker. He will be cemented into a 3 down, workhorse RB no matter his landing spot. I know I made a lot of comparisons to elite backs above, but don't mistake me for saying he will be as good or better than any of them.

But….

He is an elite talent. With the right landing spot, he will be a top 5 RB his rookie season.