Arizona running back J.J. Taylor will declare for 2020 NFL Draft

The first of many underclassmen declarations is here, with Arizona Wildcats running back J.J. Taylor saying he will enter the 2020 NFL Draft.

With the college football regular season coming to a close in a couple of weeks, underclassmen will start declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft. Arizona Wildcats running back J.J. Taylor is officially the first to do so, saying that this coming game will be his last home game for Arizona and that he will enter the draft, according to AZCATS.com reporter Matt Moreno.

Taylor is having a solid redshirt junior season for the Wildcats. He has 124 carries for 640 yards and five touchdowns through nine games. He likely won’t reach his production on the ground from last season (1434 yards) but he also hasn’t gotten the same amount of touches as last season. Taylor has seen more targets in the passing game, having accumulated 260 yards on 26 catches in 2019.

Interestingly, Taylor is announcing that he will enter, especially in what many expect to be a loaded draft class at the position. Running backs like D’Andre Swift, Jonathan Taylor and Travis Etienne (to name a few) are all likely to declare as well.

Even in a deep class, Taylor has traits that teams will like, especially when it comes to pass-happy squads. Taylor is only listed at 5-foot-6 and 185 pounds, which is pretty undersized for the position. However, teams may see his athleticism and explosiveness the way they saw Tarik Cohen coming out of college, in that there are teams who can find a spot for him in their offense.

His pass-catching ability is a strength, and with more teams using multiple back sets and committees in the NFL, he will certainly get a chance. Taylor might not be selected before day three, but if he lands in the right spot, he could carve out a nice role at the next level.