Jonathan Taylor: 2020 Dynasty Rookie Profile
Position: RB
School: Wisconsin
Class: Junior
Date of Birth: January 19, 1999
Height: 5-10 Weight: 226lbs
Athletic Testing
40-Time: 4.39
Speed Score: 121.7 (99th-percentile)
Burst Score: 122.7 (71st-percentile)
Agility Score: 11.25 (66th-percentile)
Bench Press: 17 (27th-percentile)
SPARQ-x: 120.5 (77th-percentile)
Bio
Jonathan Taylor enters the NFL Draft process as the RB1 on most analysts draft boards. He was not always the cream of the crop, though, as Taylor did not receive many offers coming out of high school as a three-star recruit from Salem, New Jersey. Ultimately, he chose Wisconsin over Virginia Tech, Rutgers, Boston College, Army, Temple, and Albany. Taylor quickly lit the NCAA on fire, topping 2,000 scrimmage yards and scoring 13 touchdowns as a freshman. His 1,977 yards on the ground were the most by a freshman in college football history.
If that wasn’t impressive enough, he surpassed those numbers in his sophomore campaign, reaching 2,194 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on 307 (7.1 YPC) carries. In 2019, Taylor’s growth as a pass-catcher was evidenced by 26 receptions on 36 targets for 252 yards and five scores with a 10.3-percent target share. That was on top of another 2,000-yard rushing season and 21 touchdowns on the ground.
See Where Jonathan Taylor Lands In Our 2020 Dynasty Rookie Rankings
Taylor produced at a historical pace over his three seasons at Wisconsin. He was the first player in college football history with multiple 2,000-yard rushing seasons. He had the most rushing yards through a sophomore season in NCAA history. Taylor rushed for over 125 yards 26 (out of 42 games) times, the most since 2000. And he is the seventh player to ever rush for 6,000 yards and first to do it in just three seasons.
Top RB Prospect College Dominator Ratings:
1. Jonathan Taylor: 41.8%
2. Ke'Shawn Vaughn: 40.4%
3. Cam Akers: 39.8%
4. Eno Benjamin: 37.4%
5. Zack Moss: 36.5%
6. A.J. Dillon: 34.8%
7. Benny LeMay: 34.2%
8. Levante Bellamy: 33.7%
9. Joshua Kelley: 33.2%
10. Michael Warren: 32.7% pic.twitter.com/wbXRNrznKg— PlayerProfiler (@rotounderworld) February 14, 2020
When comparing him to the rest of the class, no one comes close to what Taylor accomplished on the field. Taylor reached 200 rushing yards in 12 games at Wisconsin. J.K. Dobbins did that twice while D’Andre Swift, Cam Akers, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire never reached that threshold. Taylor had 32 100-yard games, Dobbins had 19, CEH had 11, and both Akers and Swift had nine. Taylor’s 41.8-percent dominator rating is best in the class. At the Combine, Taylor ran the fastest 40 of the running back group and finished in the upper-percentile in both the explosion and agility drills.
The only major blemish on his record is the 18 fumbles (15 lost) but hopefully that will be corrected at the next level.
College Stats
Jonathan Taylor College Stats Courtesy of sports-reference.com
Positives
+Prototypical size (5-10, 226lbs)
+89th-percentile BMI
+Consistently remained healthy despite heavy workload
+4.39 40-yard-dash (121.7 (99th-percentile) Speed Score)
+122.7 (71st-percentile) Burst Score
+11.25 (66th-percentile) Agility Score
+Possesses the power to finish runs and push piles
+Displays great balance and acceleration
+Quality pass protection
+41.8-percent (93rd-percentiles) College Dominator—best in this RB class
+10.3-percent (76th-percentile) Final College season target share
+26 receptions, 36 targets in final season
+One of five Power-Five RBs since 2000 to rush for 2,000 yards, catch 20 passes, and score 20 touchdowns in a single season (Larry Johnson, Ray Rice, J.K. Dobbins, Chuba Hubbard) -Via Curtis Patrick on Twitter
+Averaged 2,058 rushing yards per season
There have been 12 other Running Backs since 2000 who have:
Weighed more than 218
Ran a 4.45/40 or better
Drafted in rounds 1 or 2
Jonathan Taylor has a very solid floor. pic.twitter.com/cfE95IJrQz
— Jax Falcone (scott) 🚫 (@DynoGameTheory) February 29, 2020
Negatives
-18 Fumbles (15 lost) in three seasons
-Questions remain if he can be a true difference-maker in the passing game in the NFL
-Just eight receptions in each of first two seasons
-27th-percentile bench press performance
Highlight Reel
Best Comparable Player (PlayerProfiler): Ezekiel Elliott
NFL Draft Projection: Round One
It's officially a 4.39 for Taylor, making him the 10th-fastest RB in NFL Combine history once you adjust for weight. Saquon Barkley was the 4th-fastest (4.40 at 233lbs). https://t.co/gz2p0bZK95
— Graham Barfield (@GrahamBarfield) February 29, 2020
Bottom Line:
Jonathan Taylor is in a tier by himself atop this running back class. He dominated the NFL Combine and no other back came close to his on-field production. He still has some proving to do as a pass-catcher, but his 10.3-percent target share in 2019 and skill in pass protection induce confidence that he will carve out a three-down role in his rookie season. His fumbling issues can be corrected at the next level and there are no concerns about his durability given his college workload. The only question you should be asking about Jonathan Taylor in dynasty rookie drafts is who you will take at 1.02.
Resources: DLF, PlayerProfiler, NFL.com
