3 Colts Named Among Most Dominant at Positions in NFL

When teams stick to their draft board and take the best player available rather than reaching for a need, it can pay dividends.

For the Indianapolis Colts, they believe in this approach wholeheartedly and it's led to some absolute home run picks in the NFL Draft, particularly during the Chris Ballard era.

It appears that Bleacher Report agrees with the Colts' method, as their Maurice Moton recently put together a list of the most dominant player at each position group in the NFL, and some Colts homegrown talent is represented.

On their list, B/R listed Colts left guard Quenton Nelson as the next-best interior offensive lineman in the NFL following Dallas Cowboys guard Zack Martin. However, they gave the recognition outright to Colts running back Jonathan Taylor and linebacker Darius Leonard each as No. 1.

Here's what Moton had to say about Taylor:

Running Back: Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

After an impressive rookie season, Jonathan Taylor established consistency in emphatic fashion, winning the 2021 rushing title with 1,811 yards to go along with a league-leading 18 touchdowns.

Taylor doesn't fit in the same mold as the top dual-threat running backs such as Alvin Kamara and Austin Ekeler, but he's one of the few workhorse ball-carriers around the league.

Last year, the Colts fielded a top-10 scoring offense mostly because of what Taylor can do on the ground. In 2021, they had the sixth-fewest passing attempts and ranked 26th in yards through the air.

Though Indianapolis didn't have its best offensive lineman in guard Quenton Nelson for four games, the ground attack ranked second leaguewide with Taylor racking up 71 percent of those yards...

Taylor burst onto the scene as a rookie by capping off his regular season with the Colts' single-game rushing record, totaling 253 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars and finishing third in the NFL overall on the season. But his incredible sophomore season was even better, tallying 332 carries for 1,811 yards (5.5 avg.) and 18 touchdowns to go with 40 receptions (51 targets) for 360 yards (9.0 avg.) and 2 touchdowns. He led the NFL in rushing over the next player by 25 carries, 552 rushing yards, and 3 rushing touchdowns. As a matter of fact, Taylor had 1,272 rushing yards after contact alone, which would've been good enough for third in the league overall.

He had perhaps the greatest season for a running back in Colts franchise history, setting several team bests, but he also made his mark league-wide. Taylor tied for the most consecutive games in NFL history with at least 100 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown (8) and is also the youngest player in NFL history with at least 2,000 scrimmage yards (2,171) and 20 scrimmage touchdowns (20) in a single season.

Individually, Taylor accomplished about all that he could, including the Pro Bowl and a unanimous First-Team All-Pro nod. He earned the AFC Offensive Player of the Week award once (Week 11), AFC Offensive Player of the Month twice (October and November), and the FedEx Ground Player of the Week four times (Weeks 6, 10, 13, and 15).

Through two seasons, Taylor has started 30-of-32 games and totaled 564 carries for 2,980 yards (5.3 avg.) and 29 touchdowns as well as 76 receptions (90 targets) for 659 yards (8.7 avg.) and another 3 touchdowns.

As good of a start as Taylor has had to his career, he's not the only Colts player who can make that claim. Here are Moton's thoughts on Leonard:

Linebacker: Darius Leonard, Indianapolis Colts

Darius Leonard had one of the most impressive 2021 seasons because he played through an ankle injury. According to The Athletic's

Zak Keefer

, the Indianapolis Colts linebacker underwent surgery last offseason but dealt with lingering effects:

"The midsummer surgery the Colts' Pro Bowl linebacker had on his ankle didn't keep the pain away once the season started. Leonard wasn't himself — wasn't close to himself — the first six games. So he changed his routine, dug into more film, scheduled nightly rehab sessions at his home and slogged through it

.

"

Keefer also pointed out that Leonard had experienced some family hardships. In May, the 26-year-old

said

he "fell out of love for the game."

Despite the physical and mental obstacles, Leonard only missed one contest while on the reserve/COVID-19 list in 2021, registering 122 tackles, four tackles for loss, eight pass breakups, four interceptions and a league-leading eight forced fumbles in his third first-team All-Pro year.

If Leonard can do that while hampered with injury and a lack of passion for the game, he's a special playmaker who will reach another level when healthy and refocused.

Per

Keefer

, Leonard underwent back surgery, which is connected to his

calf issues

from the previous campaign, but he's expected to be ready for the regular season. Assuming that's the case, pencil him in as the most dominant player at linebacker...

Leonard is one of the most statistically accomplished defenders in the NFL since joining the league in 2018 when he was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

He's the only player with 10-plus sacks and 10-plus interceptions over that time, and he's also amassed 17 forced fumbles, 7 fumbles recovered, 30 pass breakups, and 538 tackles (30 for loss).

Leonard has a track record of doing a little bit of everything, including leading the NFL in tackles as a rookie (163) and forced fumbles in 2021 (8). He has three Pro Bowls and four All-Pros (three First-Team, one Second-Team) in four years.

"The Maniac" has truly rare playmaking ability, as opposing offenses know that he's capable of sitting on a route and picking off passes or doing his patented ball punch to cause fumbles, but he still does it on a regular basis regardless.

Do you consider any Colts players to be the most dominant at their positions? Drop your thoughts below in the comment section!

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