If you don't follow or care about football, Jonathon Taylor is a running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. If you do care about football, you already know Taylor's name.
In this article, I would like to cover the explosion of JT this season and what makes him so good at what he does. I will also discuss why he is a Fantasy football owner's dream.
Taylor is in his second season in the NFL and the same number with the Colts. He has seen an increase in his workload this year and has embraced it beautifully. Taylor currently leads the league in rush yards with 1,205 and rushing touchdowns with 14. The Colts have shown great trust in Taylor to spark their offense and he has done just that.
Taylor was a highly touted recruit out of the University of Wisconsin, but in his rookie year with the Colts, some were not totally impressed by his performance. While Taylor rushed for over 1,100 yards last season, he only crested above 100 yards in three of his fifteen regular season games. And in one of those games he exploded, rushing for 253 yards which can account for his elevated rushing total.
This year however, the Colts have a new offense centered around and new quaterback. And the team has decided to rely on Taylor and his abilities to establish their offense. Jonathon Taylor's skillset as a running back is fantastic. He is undeniably fast, he can make explosive cuts and change direction on a dime, he can run over defenders, and he understands the position and his assignment Taylor ran a 4.39 forty yard dash at the NFL combine which is elite and shows he is one of the fastest backs in the league. He weighs in at 226 lbs and that combination of speed and size does not fair nicely for a defensive back in a one-on-one matchup. Taylor's intelligence at his position can not be underestimated as well. He is well versed on the Colts game plan, he understands how to patiently wait for blocks from his lineman, and then shoot through holes in the defense when they are created.
Beyond, the play on the field, Taylor has an emotional drive that helps him to be so great. In the series Hard Knocks with the Indianapolis Colts on HBO, Taylor discusses that in all his years of football, he has never won a league championship. Can you imagine a high school team with that kind of talent not being able to win a state ship? It boggles my mind. Anyways, this is a goal that Taylor desperately wants to achieve and it motivates him to play at his absolute best and his success is evident.
For my last point, I would like to discuss why Taylor is a fantasy owner's dream. If you're not familiar with Fantasy football, all you need to know about running backs like Jonathon Taylor is that yards and touchdowns are extremely valuable when it comes to scoring points in Fantasy. And guess who leads the league in both, Jonathon Taylor. Beyond that, Taylor also has thirty-six receptions this season for 336 yards. This is beautiful sight for Fantasy owner's who's leagues follow a PPR point system that rewards a point for each pass reception. Another important aspect of Taylor's Fantasy football supremacy is his ability to protect the football. Taylor only has three fumble across twelve games this season and he has only lost one of those fumbles. Taylor is the Number 1 ranked running back on ESPN Fantasy football and it is easy to see why. Additionally, I would have to believe that his production would continue next season, barring any injury, so if you get the chance, draft Taylor early next year.
To conclude, there is no doubt that Jonathon Taylor has burst onto the scene this season and shows no signs of slowing down or being slowed down by opposing defenses. I am excited to see what Taylor can do as the season progresses and hopefully the Colts can put themselves in a position to make a playoff run.
Thank you for reading.