Stampede Blue
Since he joined the league by way of a second-round draft selection back in the infamously virtual 2020 NFL Draft, Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor has remained one of the league’s best pure runners of the football. As of recent, there have even been flashes of an emergence altogether, which, of course, should strike fear into opposing NFL defenses.
He’s second among running backs leaguewide in rushing yards since he entered the league, and is one of just four running backs to eclipse 5,000 rushing yards in that span. Additionally, Taylor is one of three running backs to total more than 50 rushing touchdowns since he joined the league. It’s been well-documented that the 26-year-old running back is a star with the ball in his hands, but until recently, physically handing him the ball was the safest way to get Taylor involved. Nowadays, however, the sixth year back is flashing signs of an evolution.
The mere idea of a former All-Pro running back like Jonathan Taylor improving is a scary thought to have. After years of struggling to stay on the field on third downs due to a lack of hands, both as a passcatcher and in pass protection, Taylor has seemingly turned a corner — as he so often does on linebackers who try to beat him to the sideline.
Taylor had some success through the air to start his career, operating mainly on screens to the average tune of 300 receiving yards and 1-2 TDs off of an 85% catch rate. However, Taylor’s production as a passcatcher has dropped off over his past three seasons. Plummeting to an average 69% catch rate over that span, Taylor’s subsequent production fell off as he’s only averaged 144 receiving yards and 1 touchdown over those three seasons.
His drop rate fell a percentage point from 7% across his first two seasons to his next two; however, Taylor’s 2024 campaign was his worst yet. According to Pro Football Focus, his drop rate skyrocketed to a career-high 14.3%, and when you couple that with his career-worst 58.1 catch percentage, it’s fair to assume that a massive rebound would take years of development as opposed to a turnaround coming from a singular offseason. So far through two weeks, there have been flashes of a whole new pass-catching back entirely.
Taylor has hauled in all five of his targets through two games, totaling 77 receiving yards and a TD, but the biggest difference in those five reps is how comfortable he looked as a receiver. He’s not just hauling in the wide-open throws that used to sometimes result in concentration drops; Taylor is ensuring the catch is made before taking off, is running routes effectively, and is, most importantly, catching the ball like it’s his job.
That’s not it, though. In order to be trusted as the go-to third-down back, you can’t just be a reliable option in the passing game. You also have to be a trustworthy pass protector, and as far as...
