Top 2020 NFL Draft prospect Jonathan Taylor shines in season debut

Top 2020 NFL Draft running back prospect Jonathan Taylor showed off his entire skill-set on Friday night.

The 2020 NFL Draft is going to be loaded at the running back position. Perhaps not quite as loaded at wide receiver, but there will undoubtedly be plenty of backs who will be worthy of first-round selections.

Among those talented backs will be Jonathan Taylor out of Wisconsin. Taylor has been an absolute workhorse for the Badgers throughout his college career and will likely leave the program as one of the most productive running backs in college football history. However, this is not just a case of a back getting a ton of carries behind a strong offensive line. Taylor is an extremely talented player who is a legitimate NFL draft prospect.

Wisconsin opened their 2019 season on Friday night with a 49-0 rout of USF. Taylor was the star of the game for the Badgers, piling up 135 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. He showed off his impressive vision and patience as a runner, consistently finding open holes in the defense. Taylor also showed off his impressive quickness in short spaces with many incredible jump cuts combined with explosive speed that left defenders in his dust.

Perhaps most importantly for his NFL Draft stock, Taylor made some big plays in the passing game. He has never been much of an asset for the Badgers in the passing attack, but Taylor got involved on Friday night. He only caught two passes, but he took them both to the house for touchdowns.

The first was just a little screen pass where he simply used his combination of speed and power to take it to the house. It was a great play, but I was more impressed by his second touchdown reception.

On this play, Taylor was lined out wide in a rare empty set by Wisconsin. He did a great job of finding space in the zone on a quick spot route, secured the ball with a catch away from his body and turned upfield quickly to make a play. Taylor was able to use his quick feet and power to force his way into the end zone for an impressive touchdown reception.

His most impressive touchdown of the night was his fourth and final one. Early in the third quarter, Taylor carried the ball to the end zone from 38-yards out. It was an absolute thing of beauty.

Simply put, Jonathan Taylor is one of the best players in college football and undoubtedly a premier prospect for the 2020 NFL Draft. He exploded with an impressive performance on Friday night, but that is just the beginning.

Barring injury, this guy is going to dominate the competition all season long. He is an absolute star and true threat to be a first-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.