Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor should be getting more hype as the top running back in 2020 NFL Draft class. He’s been elite in 2019.
Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor doesn’t seem to be getting the same fanfare and hype as other elite Big Ten runners in recent years like Saquon Barkley (Penn State) and Ezekiel Elliott (Ohio State).
Both Barkley and Elliott went on to become top five NFL Draft picks after their stellar college careers, but no one — at this point — has decided that Taylor is a top five player looking ahead at the 2020 NFL Draft.
Maybe we should start.
Taylor ran all over Michigan to the tune of 145 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday.
That was just in the first quarter.
He finished with 203 rushing yards on 23 carries in Wisconsin’s blowout win over the Wolverines, and put his NFL talent on display for us all once again.
Jonathan Taylor is ridiculous
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) September 21, 2019
That’s it. That’s the tweet.#JT23 || #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/RifMWmF1oj
Taylor runs with elite vision, balance, power, acceleration, and speed.
Of course, he’s playing behind a bunch of mammoths on that Wisconsin offensive line, but Taylor is doing this kind of work against loaded boxes and a decent if unspectacular passing game to back him up.
Through his first two seasons at Wisconsin, Taylor averaged 2,000 yards rushing. He had 2,194 yards and 16 touchdowns last year, and hasn’t yet been very heavily utilized in the passing game with just eight catches in each of his first two seasons in Madison.
Through three games this season, he’s already at six catches with three of them going for touchdowns.
At 5-foot-11, 219 pounds, Taylor is a load to take down, but he’s so much more than just a grinder who carries defenders with him for big yardage.
This is a guy who can move piles and run away from them with exceptional burst and acceleration. He finds creases in a defense and attacks, and he’s nearly impossible for defensive backs to take down in the open field.
There are a number of really good running backs in the 2020 NFL draft class but Taylor is looking like the cream of the crop right now.
He’s averaging 7.6 yards per carry with seven rushing touchdowns and three receiving touchdowns in just three games. The game has only slowed down for him over the past couple of seasons as his level of play has gone way up.
If you’re putting together a mock draft, it’s probably safe to pencil this guy in as your RB1.