Colts’ Jonathan Taylor ranked among top players under 25
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor was ranked among the top players in the NFL under the age of 25 by Pro Football Focus.
Taylor, who won’t turn 25 years old until next January, found himself ranked at the No. 12 spot on the list. He was the only running back to make the list and was the eighth highest-ranked offensive player.
Here’s what Pro Football Focus said about Taylor in the ranking:
Taylor took a step back last season with a 71.5 rushing grade, a far cry from his 90.0 rushing grade in 2021. But much of his lack of production stemmed from things outside of his control. The Colts’ offensive line was poor last year, as was their offense overall. Taylor missed out on the 1,000-yard mark for the first time since his freshman season of high school, but even with the poor offensive line, he still rushed for 861 yards in 11 games — a pace that would have still hit 1,000 yards in a full season. When fully healthy, Taylor is still one of the best young players in the game.
The nagging ankle injury certainly played a role in Taylor’s struggles to reach his elite ceiling in 2022. But most of the issues stemmed from the lack of stability at the quarterback position and the failings of the offensive line to work as a cohesive unit.
We’ve seen Taylor be the best running back in the league when he led the NFL with 1,811 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns in 2021.
With rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson likely to take over early in the season, the running lanes should be open for Taylor considering the quarterback’s dual-threat ability.
As long as he’s healthy, Taylor will remain a vital part of the offense under new head coach Shane Steichen.
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