Colts' Star RB Named To PFF's 25 Under 25 List
If you haven't caught on by now, Indianapolis Colts' second-year running back Jonathan Taylor is gaining a ton of traction as a bonafide star in the NFL.
On Tuesday, the standout running back who is coming off of a nearly 1,200-yard season in 2020, was named to Pro Football Focus's top 25 players under 25 list entering the 2021 NFL season.
Taylor cracked the list at No. 22 overall, joining names like Baltimore's Lamar Jackson, Buffalo's Josh Allen, Washington's Chase Young and Tennessee's AJ Brown, which should tell you how highly regarded Taylor is with PFF.
PFF's Sam Monson put together the list and had this to say about Taylor:
Once Jonathan Taylor got going for the Colts last season, it became obvious that he has the same ability at the NFL level as he did during his all-time great college career. Taylor averaged almost 3.0 yards after contact per carry and broke off 35 runs of 10 or more yards, slipping past 41 tackles along the way. As he continues to run behind one of the league’s best offensive lines, expect him to be a force again this upcoming season.
Taylor was arguably the best running back in a generation in college (and maybe one of the best ever), rushing for 6,177 yards in three seasons at Wisconsin, leading to his second-round selection by the Colts in 2020.
With the Colts, Taylor put up 1,169 yards and 11 touchdowns 15 games, averaging just under 80 yards per game, closing out the season with an impressive 253-yard performance against Jacksonville in Week 17 last season.
It's worth mentioning that Taylor did all of that as a rookie playing just 47% of the snaps in Frank Reich's system. That snap percentage should push north of 50% in 2021 as the Colts look to bring along new franchise QB Carson Wentz slowly, leaning heavily on the rushing attack.
At a position that continues to trend towards young, fresher legs, Taylor was just one of two running backs on the 25 under 25 list, with Las Vegas Raiders' star Josh Jacobs the other running back on the list.
Have thoughts on Jonathan Taylor's selection to the 25 under 25 list ahead of the 2021 season by Pro Football Focus? Drop a comment in the section below letting us know how you feel!
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