Colts draft RB Jonathan Taylor - Round 2, Pick 41

[AlwaysSunnyinIndy]

https://twitter.com/zkeefer/status/1253832875134332930

At 41, Colts go with Wisconsin RB Jonathan Taylor.

Offense with their first two picks tonight. Not a coincidence.

Getting Philip Rivers some weapons.

https://twitter.com/JoelAErickson/status/1253832936224370698

The Colts are drafting Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor. I've watched a ton of Taylor over the years. Fast, great breakaway speed. Lots of experience running behind a powerful offensive line. Style's hard to describe; he can pick his way through holes and then take off.

https://twitter.com/jimayello/status/1253833426261741568

From everything I've read, Jonathan Taylor is the best pure running back in the class. An athletic freak who ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at 226 pounds.

https://twitter.com/JoelAErickson/status/1253833083100565504

Taylor's a very good receiver, too. Wisconsin highlighted that a lot last year. Paul Chryst clearly altered the offense to get him more receiving options.

https://twitter.com/jimayello/status/1253833871822598147

With the Fournette drama unfolding in Jacksonville, my guess is that the Colts felt like they had to jump the Jags to get Taylor.

https://twitter.com/jimayello/status/1253841241369952256

If there's an area of concern about Jonathan Taylor it's the immense workload he's already shouldered. In three years at Wisconsin, he ran the ball 926 times.

For reference, between 3 years in college AND 3 years in the NFL, Marlon Mack has run the ball 1,121 times.

https://twitter.com/JoelAErickson/status/1253842969423163393

Fumbles were an issue, too. Fumbled 18 times in three years, but. ...

But the Colts have Tom Rathman as a RBs coach, and he's famously intense about ball security.

https://twitter.com/HolderStephen/status/1253854911395217408

Regarding his fumbles, he emphasizes that the bulk of them came from his freshman year but he needs to put more work into "making sure that's shored up."

[Dam8610]

Hope the mileage isn't too high.

[jasperhobbs]

The drafting of Taylor tells me the colts will not be keeping Mack when he becomes a free agent.

[nate505]

As much as I like the pick, his mileage and fumbles are very valid concerns.

Other than that, he is a big strong fast guy with great running instincts, and behind this line that is lethal. Unless he starts fumbling the ball.

[Dam8610]

As much as I like the pick, his mileage and fumbles are very valid concerns.

Other than that, he is a big strong fast guy with great running instincts, and behind this line that is lethal. Unless he starts fumbling the ball.

Now I remember that the fumbles were why I had him blacklisted.

[Hoopsdoc]

Again, if you can get a guy with that type of production AND those measurables, you JUMP on him.

[AlwaysSunnyinIndy]

https://twitter.com/JoelAErickson/status/1253904352160382977

The Colts had a group of 6-7 players at 34 that they were talking through. Taylor was in there. When he got to 36, 37, they were talking, and Jim Irsay said "You guys are talking about how much you like him, you should go get him."

https://twitter.com/JoelAErickson/status/1253904667706372096

So Irsay's the spark that sealed the trade up for Taylor.

[BCN#1]

High wear and tear or not, he will be a great compliment to Mack in my view who will likely continue to take the majority of carries.

If Mack goes down, Taylor may be best situated to step in and pick up some or most of the load in the interim. Agreed that Rathman will drilling him on the drops so all upside in my view at this point.

[rm1369]

Perhaps I just devalue the position too much, which is a little ironic because my all time favorite player is Edge. I just didn’t really like the value there - especially considering the high workload. However, RB is now largely a one contract and done position, so Mack is gone after this year. And they appear to see a window open over the next 2-3 years with Rivers. The need makes sense I guess and if he was their guy I like them getting it done. It still leaves me a little disappointed though looking at some of the guys that were still available at 44.

[HoosierinFL]

I don't understand this mileage stuff. A lot of RBs come into the league with high # of attempts like that.
He's young and still has plenty of miles left. No reason we can't get 4-5 years of production out of him - and then we'll replace with with another young back same as we're doing with Mack. Plus even though he's suited to be an every down back, we're not going to use him like that. He's going to platoon with Mack, not to mention Hines and Wilkins.

Backs who came out of college with more carries than Taylor:
Ladainian Tomlinson
Tony Dorsett
Ricky Williams
Herschel Walker
Marcus Allen
Cedric Benson
Thurman Thomas

[rm1369]

I don't understand this mileage stuff. A lot of RBs come into the league with high # of attempts like that.
He's young and still has plenty of miles left. No reason we can't get 4-5 years of production out of him - and then we'll replace with with another young back same as we're doing with Mack. Plus even though he's suited to be an every down back, we're not going to use him like that. He's going to platoon with Mack, not to mention Hines and Wilkins.

Backs who came out of college with more carries than Taylor:
Ladainian Tomlinson
Tony Dorsett
Ricky Williams
Herschel Walker
Marcus Allen
Cedric Benson
Thurman Thomas

Even though I mentioned his workload, in general I agree. It’s a disposable position. The transition is fairly easy and you don’t sign guys to second contracts, you just find another one. However, the idea of it being a disposable position is also why I don’t like the value at 41 - especially trading up. Not a major thing by any means, just not what I was hoping for.

[smitty46953]

I don't understand this mileage stuff. A lot of RBs come into the league with high # of attempts like that.
He's young and still has plenty of miles left. No reason we can't get 4-5 years of production out of him - and then we'll replace with with another young back same as we're doing with Mack. Plus even though he's suited to be an every down back, we're not going to use him like that. He's going to platoon with Mack, not to mention Hines and Wilkins.

Backs who came out of college with more carries than Taylor:
Ladainian Tomlinson
Tony Dorsett
Ricky Williams
Herschel Walker
Marcus Allen
Cedric Benson
Thurman Thomas

Just a couple good ones in that list :eek:

[rcubed]

I don't understand this mileage stuff. A lot of RBs come into the league with high # of attempts like that.
He's young and still has plenty of miles left. No reason we can't get 4-5 years of production out of him - and then we'll replace with with another young back same as we're doing with Mack. Plus even though he's suited to be an every down back, we're not going to use him like that. He's going to platoon with Mack, not to mention Hines and Wilkins.

Backs who came out of college with more carries than Taylor:
Ladainian Tomlinson
Tony Dorsett
Ricky Williams
Herschel Walker
Marcus Allen
Cedric Benson
Thurman Thomas


Agree. Bot worried about his carries as he will only need to be effective for us for 3-4 years then we get another, thats what the position has become. I hope he doesn’t have fumble issues as they seem high from college. But that can be taught.


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[bertjones]

Just for what it is worth, I saw a lot of him living up here in Wisconsin.
Every time he touched the ball you held your breath wondering whether
he would break it to the house. there aren't many players you can say that
about. I think he will be a surprisingly good receiving target, they upped
his catches this year but Cryst still was running an overly conservative
offense. Fumbles ARE an issue, it's why he wasn't a top 20 pick. This is where
Rathman earns his money.

[Butter]

I feel conflicted on this pick, I think I will like the player if he cleans up the fumbles, I just hate not only using a 2nd on an RB, but trading up to do so. Ballard must really like him.

[Dewey 5]

Just for what it is worth, I saw a lot of him living up here in Wisconsin.
Every time he touched the ball you held your breath wondering whether
he would break it to the house. there aren't many players you can say that
about. I think he will be a surprisingly good receiving target, they upped
his catches this year but Cryst still was running an overly conservative
offense. Fumbles ARE an issue, it's why he wasn't a top 20 pick. This is where
Rathman earns his money.

I think he will be a much better receiving target in the NFL for the simple fact that Wisconsin didn't have a qb worth a piss.

[daedge]

Now I remember that the fumbles were why I had him blacklisted.

Meh. Most of them were when he fighting for extra yardage. The Colts will coach it out of him.

[daedge]

I feel conflicted on this pick, I think I will like the player if he cleans up the fumbles, I just hate not only using a 2nd on an RB, but trading up to do so. Ballard must really like him.

Must really have felt the Jaguars were going to take him. Given the Colts got the fifth round pick back, the fact we traded up doesn't really matter. After watching a 10 minute highlights package of him, I'm beyond content with the pick.

[YDFL Commish]

Just for what it is worth, I saw a lot of him living up here in Wisconsin.
Every time he touched the ball you held your breath wondering whether
he would break it to the house. there aren't many players you can say that
about. I think he will be a surprisingly good receiving target, they upped
his catches this year but Cryst still was running an overly conservative
offense. Fumbles ARE an issue, it's why he wasn't a top 20 pick. This is where
Rathman earns his money.

I have lived in Wisconsin the last 4 years. Taylor may be the best RB to come out of the Badger program ever.

I was thinking today of a a pro-comp and I really couldn't come up with except maybe a bigger faster Terrell Davis.