Overall, the 2022 season was a disaster for the Indianapolis Colts, including running back Jonathan Taylor. Many people thought they were a dark horse to contend for the Super Bowl, but they fell woefully short of those expectations, going 4-12-1 and landing the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Jonathan Taylor entered the season with high expectations. The 2021 rushing triple crown looked like one of the best running backs in the NFL, but injuries and an underwhelming supporting cast around him derailed things.
After leading the league with 332 rushes for 1,811 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2021, Jonathan Taylor played in only 11 games, carrying the ball 192 times for 861 yards and four touchdowns. That is a stark comparison to the previous season when he finished second in the Offensive Player of the Year voting, taking home a Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro nod.
Heading into the 2023 season, there are still plenty of people that are high on Jonathan Taylor and what he can bring to the team. He was voted as the No. 6 running back over at ESPN in Jeremy Fowler’s positional power rankings based on the opinions of executives, coaches and scouts around the league.
It is a slight drop from last season’s No. 2 ranking, but solid nonetheless. No person voting had him outside of the top 10 and the highest ranking he received was back in the No. 2 spot. However, not everyone is excited about Jonathan Taylor.
One executive that took part in the voting had some harsh words for the Wisconsin product. The executive believes that Jonathan Taylor is a product of the work around him, relying on the offensive line to open up holes for him as he isn’t going to make plays on his own.
“He’s got top-end speed and can get the tough yards, but he’s not a creative guy who can do it on his own,” the executive said. “He needs it blocked up and then he can make it happen.”
The Colts did have the best offensive line in the NFL not too long ago, but things changed drastically in the last few years. In that regard, there is some merit to what the executive said, but players don’t lead the NFL in rushing by accident.
Jonathan Taylor is a very talented running back that took advantage of the environment around him. Even with all of the issues present in 2022, such as a declining offensive line and underwhelming quarterback play, Jonathan Taylor still averaged 4.5 yards per carry, which was a top-20 mark among running backs in the NFL.
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