NFL Sophomore Watch: Can Jonathan Taylor save the Colts’ season?

With the status of Carson Wentz in doubt for Sunday, can second-year running back Jonathan Taylor carry the Colts’ offense to a much-needed win at Tennessee?

The conventional wisdom in the NFL is to not take a running back high in the draft. The position isn’t as valuable as it used to be, the thinking goes, and it’s easier to replace a great back with a good one at a more reasonable price tag.

Running backs are prone to wearing down, and the last thing you want to do as a team builder is hand out a pricey second contract to a player whose best days are behind him. Makes sense, right? Maybe. Or maybe the pendulum has swung too far and it’s starting to come back the other way.

This context is important because 10 years ago Jonathan Taylor would have been a first-round pick. Even five years ago, he might have gone in the first round like former Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon did in 2015. But the Indianapolis Colts selected Jonathan Taylor with the 9th pick of the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft at #41 overall.

Jonathan Taylor had the college resume. He is still the only running back in NCAA history to top 6,000 rushing yards in any 3-year span and he did it in his first three years at the University of Wisconsin. He averaged 6.7 yards per carry on 926 attempts and recorded 50 touchdowns on the ground in his decorated collegiate career.

The Salem, NJ, native won the Doak Walker Award (given to the nation’s best running back) in 2018 and 2019 and he secured the Big Ten Running Back of the Year Award in those same two seasons.