The next Dion Lewis?
Dion Lewis was one of the more electric players to come around Foxborough over the last decade and lightening may be striking twice as the Patriots have found a player with a very similar skillset. Running backs coach Ivan Fears compared J.J. Taylor, an undrafted rookie out of Arizona, to Lewis on Friday and even called him "Little Dion."
"Same quickness, same suddenness," said Fears during a videoconference with reporters. "He's a hell of a pass-catcher. Great vision. There's a (expletive) of stuff that's good about him. He has to learn to play bigger than his size."
Taylor's best collegiate season came back in 2018, when he rushed for 1,434 yards and six touchdowns. His rushing totals dipped in 2019, but he was able to have his best year as a pass-catcher, hauling in 32 passes for 289 yards. If New England can bring him along like Lewis, who totaled 1,110 yards and nine touchdowns from scrimmage during his final year in Foxborough, that'd be quite the find for a backfield that is looking for playmakers.
For 2020, however, Taylor may be looked at as simply a developmental piece in the backfield who finds his time spent between the active roster and practice squad.
