What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.

RB Jonathan Taylor, IND (2 Viewers)

Wisconsin junior RB Jonathan Taylor ran for 135 yards on 16 carries with two touchdowns and caught two passes for 48 yards and two scores in a 49-0 thrashing of South Florida on Friday.

Well, they said they wanted to get Taylor more involved in the passing game, and they did just that. Oh, he's still pretty good at running the football, too. He opened the scoring with a 37-yard scamper where he went virtually untouched, and then he added two receiving scores from 36-yards out and 12-yards, respectively, near the end of the first half. He then ran in from 38-yards out just two minutes into the first half, and his day was done. Scouts have to love seeing Taylor involved in the throwing game -- even if it was just two catches -- because they know what he can do between-the-tackles. Another huge game is all but guaranteed when the Badgers face Central Michigan next Saturday.

Aug 30, 2019, 11:12 PM ET

 
Draft Analyst's Tony Pauline wrote that he believes Wisconsin junior RB Jonathan Taylor has "limitations" at the next level.

"He’s a strong downhill ball carrier but lacks the speed and quickness to have any impact around the perimeter. I struggle to see Taylor as a feature runner in the NFL," Pauline wrote in his analysis of Taylor (5'11/219), who he projects as a second round pick. The junior running back was college football's best in 2018, as he won the Doak Walker Award and was also a semifinalist for the Maxwell and Walker Camp POY awards. But the NFL is a different beast, with more teams taking a "committee" approach to the running back position as opposed to counting on one feature back. And while Taylor did rush for 2,194 yards and 16 touchdowns last season he wasn't much of a factor in the passing game, catching eight passes for 60 yards. Getting better in that regard would positively impact his draft prospects.

SOURCE: Draft Analyst

Jul 23, 2019, 4:32 PM ET

MORE

 
The Athletic's Dane Brugler writes that Wisconsin junior RB Jonathan Taylor possesses "a great blend of vision and decisiveness."

"Taylor not only allows lanes to develop, but congestion doesn’t slow him down," Brugler notes of the 5-foot-11, 219-pound junior. He passes along the juicy stat that Taylor posted 1,242 yards after contact last season. The analyst wants to see the Wisconsin star shore up his ball security this fall, as he has coughed the ball up 12 times on fumbles in just two seasons. Taylor landed on Bruce Feldman's "Freaks" list earlier this month and is capable of running a 4.30-second 40-yard dash, squatting 605 pounds and pulling off a 305-pound power clean. If he can shore up those turnover issues and show just a little more as a pass-catcher, he could potentially crash the Day 1 party next spring assuming a declaration. In a loaded prospective skill-position class, Round 1 is going to be a dogfight, though.

SOURCE: The Athletic

Jul 16, 2019, 2:56 PM ET


Wisconsin junior RB Jonathan Taylor ran a 4.3-second 40-yard dash, according to The Athletic's Bruce Feldman.

Taylor (5'11/219) sits as Feldman's No. 5 biggest athletic freak in college football. In addition to the speed and explosion, Taylor has plenty of strength (605-pound squat, 350-pound clean). The athleticism translates, too. Taylor has a chance to break the NCAA rushing record, and he'd be doing it in three years. Not four. As a pure runner, Taylor is a first-round talent but pass-catching is a potential concern. Taylor's worked on his route running and comfortability as a receiver this summer, though. Taylor has first-round upside if he proves that he can catch passes out of the backfield.

SOURCE: The Athletic

Jul 12, 2019, 4:12 PM ET


Wisconsin junior RB Jonathan Taylor is spending the summer working on his route running, pass-catching, and pass protection.

Taylor (5'11/219) knows he is the best, or one of the best, first- and second-down backs in the 2020 NFL Draft. But he also knows he needs to up his receiving skills on third down to be the first running back on the board. Taylor only has 16 receptions through two seasons with a rough 5.5 yards per target average. College receiving production has some correlation to NFL receiving production for running backs, so it'll be a bad sign for his three-down projection if he can't turn things around as a receiver in 2019.

SOURCE: The Athletic

Jul 8, 2019, 9:20 PM ET

 
No way Jonathan runs a 4.3 forty. For a big guy he can certainly run but a 4.3 forty......I’m calling BS!!!!

Tex

 
No way Jonathan runs a 4.3 forty. For a big guy he can certainly run but a 4.3 forty......I’m calling BS!!!!

Tex
Taylor is a four-time state champion in track, and ran on the Badgers' 4x100 relay team this spring.  Apparently he ran a 10.49 100 meters in 2017.  I came across a 100M -> 40yd converter rule, and apparently 10.49 translates to a 4.36 40.

That scouting blurb above that dinged Taylor for a lack of speed is laughable.  When he came to Wisconsin, his speed was considered his biggest asset.  (Since then he's shown power and durability as well.)

Dude is plenty fast.

 
Taylor is a four-time state champion in track, and ran on the Badgers' 4x100 relay team this spring.  Apparently he ran a 10.49 100 meters in 2017.  I came across a 100M -> 40yd converter rule, and apparently 10.49 translates to a 4.36 40.

That scouting blurb above that dinged Taylor for a lack of speed is laughable.  When he came to Wisconsin, his speed was considered his biggest asset.  (Since then he's shown power and durability as well.)

Dude is plenty fast.
I lost a little speed from High School to college when I gained weight. I went from 196 to 212 and lost a little speed. I’ve seen Taylor get caught from behind last year with 4.3 speed no one is going to catch you. 4.3 speed is elite speed, I’ve seen Eitenne run and they are two totally different levels of speed yet I don’t recall him actually being caught from behind. 

Now, each game is different so is competition but there is no one when the Combine rolls around that he’ll run a 4.3 at is CURRENT weight. I’m calling BS!

Bryce Love has legit 4.3 before his injury.

Found this: 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/2761425-ranking-the-fastest-players-in-college-football-in-2018.amp.html

Tex

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I lost a little speed from High School to college when I gained weight. I went from 196 to 212 and lost a little speed. I’ve seen Taylor get caught from behind last year with 4.3 speed no one is going to catch you. 4.3 speed is elite speed, I’ve seen Eitenne run and they are two totally different levels of speed yet I don’t recall him actually being caught from behind. 

Now, each game is different so is competition but there is no one when the Combine rolls around that he’ll run a 4.3 at is CURRENT weight. I’m calling BS!

Bryce Love has legit 4.3 before his injury.

Found this: 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/2761425-ranking-the-fastest-players-in-college-football-in-2018.amp.html

Tex
Watching Taylor, I'm right there with you BigTex. 

There's no way he has 4.3 speed at his weight.

I'd bet my car that when the combine rolls around, he's a 4.5 guy MAYBE reaching a high 4.4x.

That doesn't mean he isn't a good running back with special tools.. it just mean's he isn't ADP (4.41 40yd time) or Saquon (4.4 40yd time) level good of a prospect.

 
Watching Taylor, I'm right there with you BigTex. 

There's no way he has 4.3 speed at his weight.

I'd bet my car that when the combine rolls around, he's a 4.5 guy MAYBE reaching a high 4.4x.

That doesn't mean he isn't a good running back with special tools.. it just mean's he isn't ADP (4.41 40yd time) or Saquon (4.4 40yd time) level good of a prospect.
Agreed, one or two things are going to take place when the Combine rolls around.

1. He doesn’t participate and stand on his college production.

2. He run the forty and runs a what looks like a 4.45/4.48 AT BEST. (IMHO he looks like a low 4.5 but I’m no expert)

3. He actually runs a 4.3 forty and is the most freakish running back at his size that we have ever seen. Again, lookin at a legit 4.3 running back in Bryce Love then look at Taylor and they are two totally different speeds.

Tex

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Where is this "at his size" stuff coming from?  He isn't that big - 5'11" 219 is pretty much the ideal size.  He ran a 4.42 when he was in high school so expect a fast 40 time at the combine. 

Some of these takes expecting him to be big and slow are way off, IMO.  

 
Yeah but can he catch?
What we know:

He had dedicated off-season time towards working on his pass catching and becoming a 3 down RB

Game 1 of the regular season he looked to be improved in his pass catching (2 catches in the first half of the game, good hands, decent routes) where the past two years he hasn't seen much involvement at all (8 catches per season)

We'll know more as the season progresses as he receives more opportunity in the pass catching area, but signs are promising.

 
Where is this "at his size" stuff coming from?  He isn't that big - 5'11" 219 is pretty much the ideal size.  He ran a 4.42 when he was in high school so expect a fast 40 time at the combine. 

Some of these takes expecting him to be big and slow are way off, IMO.  
He's probably 5'10 220lb+ even though he's 'listed' at 5'11 219lbs.

His 'size' is more a description of his body type / BMI / based on what we know for certain (the tape)
 

Even though he ran a 4.42 in high school, as @BigTex had indicated previously, as you increase your weight and muscle mass, you tend to slow down (even if it's fractions of seconds)

Based on the 'tape' and the fact that you see him getting chased down by more than likely actual 4.3 players, I think most people are just saying that he isn't a 4.3 or even low 4.4 player.  He's more of an AT BEST high 4.4 (i.e. 4.49) to low 4.5s 40yd time.

 
Where is this "at his size" stuff coming from?  He isn't that big - 5'11" 219 is pretty much the ideal size.  He ran a 4.42 when he was in high school so expect a fast 40 time at the combine. 

Some of these takes expecting him to be big and slow are way off, IMO.  
Show me a post by anyone who said he was slow........show me one.

Let’s not muddy this thread but I’m clearly saying he’s not a 4.3 guy. Period! That’s all I’m saying.

Tex

 
He's probably 5'10 220lb+ even though he's 'listed' at 5'11 219lbs.

His 'size' is more a description of his body type / BMI / based on what we know for certain (the tape)
 

Even though he ran a 4.42 in high school, as @BigTex had indicated previously, as you increase your weight and muscle mass, you tend to slow down (even if it's fractions of seconds)

Based on the 'tape' and the fact that you see him getting chased down by more than likely actual 4.3 players, I think most people are just saying that he isn't a 4.3 or even low 4.4 player.  He's more of an AT BEST high 4.4 (i.e. 4.49) to low 4.5s 40yd time.
This is exactly what we are saying. No one here said he was slow but we’ve seen him caught from behind on a number of occasions but when you watch top backs run they rarely get caught from behind. I prefer the few that don’t over the ones that does if the option is there. Considering if they are in similar tiers.

Tex

 
So you've gone from "I think I might've seen him get caught from behind last year" to "we've seen him caught from behind on a number of occasions".

You're just making stuff up at this point.

 
So you've gone from "I think I might've seen him get caught from behind last year" to "we've seen him caught from behind on a number of occasions".

You're just making stuff up at this point.
How? Show me where I’m “making stuff up”

Please show me. 

Tex

 
How? Show me where I’m “making stuff up”

Please show me. 

Tex
How about you show him getting chased down?  Since that was the assertion.  Sort of hard to prove the negative.

Fact is...he has very good speed, and has some power and moves.  

If he keeps showing the pass catching ability...he should be a high pick next year.

 
How about you show him getting chased down?  Since that was the assertion.  Sort of hard to prove the negative.

Fact is...he has very good speed, and has some power and moves.  

If he keeps showing the pass catching ability...he should be a high pick next year.
AGAIN, I never said he was slow.

I standby everything I’ve said in this thread. He’s a good player no doubt but things are be overly exaggerated and it’s unnecessary. He’s still top 5 if not top 3 player.

Tex

 
How about you show him getting chased down?  Since that was the assertion.  Sort of hard to prove the negative.

Fact is...he has very good speed, and has some power and moves.  

If he keeps showing the pass catching ability...he should be a high pick next year.
Not sure if this is “chased down” but here’s D’Angelo Ross #3 (Undrafted but signed by NE)

Pro Day says he’s a 4.3 guy:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.abqjournal.com/1289854/ross-shows-his-speed-spring.html/amp

This is a HIGHLIGHT FOR TAYLOR, If Taylor tan a 4.3 He would not have been caught by Ross at 3:42 the play begins to develop: https://youtu.be/xfrEd5I2tqQ

Swift, Taylor and Eitenne are the Big three BRs with a very small gap between the next three. They are all three different types of running backs with very unique skillsets. My ONLY thing about Taylor is people boasting he runs a 4.3 forty that’s elite speed and very, very few running backs posses that type of speed.

Tex

 
BigTex said:
Not sure if this is “chased down” but here’s D’Angelo Ross #3 (Undrafted but signed by NE)

Pro Day says he’s a 4.3 guy:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.abqjournal.com/1289854/ross-shows-his-speed-spring.html/amp

This is a HIGHLIGHT FOR TAYLOR, If Taylor tan a 4.3 He would not have been caught by Ross at 3:42 the play begins to develop: https://youtu.be/xfrEd5I2tqQ

Swift, Taylor and Eitenne are the Big three BRs with a very small gap between the next three. They are all three different types of running backs with very unique skillsets. My ONLY thing about Taylor is people boasting he runs a 4.3 forty that’s elite speed and very, very few running backs posses that type of speed.

Tex
LOL so we've got 5 minutes of highlights, and the only time Taylor is "tackled from behind" it's by another 4.3 guy that had a step on him, had an angle on him, and it still took him ~35 yards to get him to the ground.

This is not evidence in your favor.  If anything it proves Taylor is just as fast as this Ross dude, whom you tell us has 4.3 speed.

 
LOL so we've got 5 minutes of highlights, and the only time Taylor is "tackled from behind" it's by another 4.3 guy that had a step on him, had an angle on him, and it still took him ~35 yards to get him to the ground.

This is not evidence in your favor.  If anything it proves Taylor is just as fast as this Ross dude, whom you tell us has 4.3 speed.
I thought the same thing. When Taylor breaks through the congestion at the 40 yard line, Ross is a yard ahead of him and had an angle. 30 yards later he gets close enough to bring him down. I'm not so sure that Taylor wasn't more concerned with the guy to the right of him and may have shifted away from him and gave Ross his only shot at him.

 
BigTex said:
Show me a post by anyone who said he was slow........show me one.

Let’s not muddy this thread but I’m clearly saying he’s not a 4.3 guy. Period! That’s all I’m saying.

Tex
Fair enough.  I jumped to slow when I saw 4.5s because in my opinion he is a little slow, if he's 5'11" 219 and running 4.5s, for an elite prospect who is fully healthy. 

If he's bigger than that and running mid 4.4s, that's a different story. 

 
Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus picks Wisconsin junior RB Jonathan Taylor as the player who improved his stock after his performance against USF.

Not hard to see why. Taylor not only ran for 135 yards on just 16 carries for two scores, he caught two passes for 49 yards that ended in scores, as well. "His 11 pass routes were the most he’s even run in a game in his career, " writes Renner. "Paul Chryst wasn’t lying about getting Taylor more involved in the passing game this year and it looks like it could do wonders for the running back’s draft stock." Tough to argue.

SOURCE: Pro Football Focus

Sep 5, 2019, 9:19 PM ET

 
Wisconsin junior RB Jonathan Taylor (cramping) is back on the sideline and appears ready to return to Saturday's game vs. Michigan.

Taylor (5'11/219) being able to return is obviously good news for the Badgers, as he gashed Michigan before having to leave the game to receive medical attention. The junior running back and reigning Doak Walker Award winner rushed for 143 yards and two scores on just 12 carries in the first half.

SOURCE: Zach Heilprin on Twitter

Sep 21, 2019, 2:02 PM ET

 
Wisconsin junior RB Jonathan Taylor rushed for 203 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries in Saturday's 35-14 win over Michigan.

Taylor (5'11/219) set the tone for this Badgers beatdown, bolting for 143 yards and two touchdowns -- including a 72-yard scoring sprint on which Michigan's defense looked completely and utterly clueless -- in the first quarter alone. The scary thing is that he could have had an even bigger performance had he not run into cramping issues later in the first half. This was Taylor's ninth career 200-yard rushing effort. Up next on the docket for Wisconsin, a showdown with Northwestern set for next Saturday.

Sep 21, 2019, 4:07 PM ET

 
During the middle of that game I googled him and he barely made some lists.  But what you said could turn into reality by next year's drafts.
Oh yeah things will change so much from here until April. He was my #1 going into the season. Was hoping he would fly under the radar a bit but I don't see that happening now. Just got to hope for the #1 pick......lol not happening. 

 
Yes. Good hands. Wisconsin just doesn't use him like that much.
Bro that’s changed, they are throwing it to him this year. He looks good catching too. On one play today he should have been tackled for a loss and he ended he run breaking four guys miss and breaking four tackles. Unbelievable!

Tex

 
You will rue the day you took him over Jerry Jeudy. Or Swift, for that matter.
IMHO you could choose any of these three and you would not be wrong. Taylor is clearly on a mission to prove he can catch and to show he’s the best back in college football. I prefer Swift myself but I plan to draft both. This year is probably the ONLY year I’ll give up a proven player to acquire a rookie draft pic. My goal is simple, get the two (maybe three) best running backs, the best WR and TE coming out of the 2020 draft.

Tex

 
Wisconsin junior RB Jonathan Taylor was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in Saturday's 35-14 win over Michigan.

Taylor (5'11/219), who had to deal with some cramping Saturday, did just about whatever he wanted against the Wolverines. The junior running back ripped off 203 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries, with 87 of those yards coming after contact. The reigning Doak Walker Award winner will look to build on last weekend's success when he and the Badgers take on Northwestern Sept. 28.

SOURCE: Big Ten Conference

Sep 23, 2019, 11:13 AM ET

 
Pro Football Focus credited Wisconsin junior Jonathan Taylor with 87 rushing yards after contact in Saturday's game against Michigan.

It's no surprise Taylor (5'11/219_ is one of the best backs in the country for a third season in a row, but the fashion in which he dominated Michigan was stunning. 203 yards and two touchdowns by the raw numbers is impressive enough, but considering he produced nearly 100 yards after first contact, it's clear that Taylor wasn't just leaning on the vaunted Wisconsin OL to do all the work. Taylor showcased the mean streak and power that make him the elite runner he is. The Athletic's Dane Brugler pinned Taylor as a top-50 prospect heading into the season and it's not tough to see why.

SOURCE: PFF College on Twitter

Sep 22, 2019, 10:39 AM ET

 
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Wisconsin junior RB Jonathan Taylor as the No. 13 draft-eligible prospect on his latest Big Board.

Taylor (5'11/219) was not ranked on Kiper's previous board release, but he crashed on with a vengeance in this latest incarnation. While the longtime evaluator would like to see Taylor improve on his pass-catching, this is not a new critique of the Wisconsin standout. And for what it's worth, Taylor currently owns a 6-70-3 receiving line. A modest line, to be sure, but those six grabs are just two catches short of his season-long catch tallies from 2017 and 2018. This is an area which Taylor has been working at. If he can turn himself into a plus (or at least, not a negative) on that front, we already know he has the rushing talents. Taylor has rolled to 440 yards (7.6 YPC) and seven touchdowns in three games this season and is coming off a beautiful 203-yard performance against Michigan put forth this past Saturday.

SOURCE: ESPN Insider

Sep 25, 2019, 5:32 PM ET

 
Wisconsin junior RB Jonathan Taylor ran for 119 yards on 26 carries with a touchdown in a 24-15 win over Northwestern.

Taylor had to work hard for his yardage, as the Wildcats gave no respect to the Wisconsin passing game and made the star tailback earn every inch. It looked like it was going to be a huge game for the 5-foot-11, 219-pound tailback, and he scored the only offensive touchdown of the game for the Badgers on a 13-yard scamper on 4th-and-2 in the first drive. This is a disappointing game based on expectations, but even so, it shows just how good Taylor can be. Expect him to pile up more yardage next Saturday against Kent State.

Sep 28, 2019, 3:31 PM ET

 
WIsconsin junior RB Jonathan Taylor rushed 19 times for 186 yards and 5 total touchdowns in Wisconsin's 48-0 shutout of Kent State on Saturday.

Taylor (5'11/219) was again the primary playmakeer for the Badgers against a thoroughly overmatched Kent State team that only managed 124 total yards on the day. Taylor caught three passes for 29 yards and one of his 5 touchdowns in the receiving game, giving Taylor 215 total yards in the contest. Wisconsin hosts Michigan State next week in a huge Big Ten matchup.

Oct 5, 2019, 5:52 PM ET

 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top