Last year was truly a roller coaster for Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor.
From his public contract dispute and trade request to him returning to the field with a new contract.
But even with all that transpiring, he still found himself ranked inside the top 10 RBs in the league voted on by NFL executives, scouts, and coaches that ESPN's Jeremy Fowler released.
Top 10 series begins today: Execs, scouts and coaches rank 11 positions over 11 days.
Today…the NFL's best running backs
-Breece Hall with huge jump
-How Nick Chubb stacks up
-Bijan earns top votes https://t.co/VB8hr8mg9k— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) July 8, 2024
Jonathan Taylor, Colts
Ranking: 5th
Highest Ranking: 2nd
Lowest Ranking: Unranked
Taylor's career has seen plenty of highs and lows, from a 2021 rushing title to a Year 3 plummet due in part to an anemic Colts offense around him to a lengthy contract dispute that pushed against last year's trade deadline.
Late in 2023, armed with a new contract, Taylor pumped out 487 yards and six touchdowns over his final five games.
"Still explosive -- last year he was beat up," an AFC scout said. "The Colts eased him into things. But he's probably the best combination of size and straight-line speed right now."
The Colts' run block win rate improved from 23rd to 14th year-over-year, and a healthy Taylor for a full season should improve that stock even more.
"Expecting a huge year from him," an AFC executive said. "Still an impact player."- NFL execs, coaches and scouts top 10 RB rankings
Taylor played in fewer games in 2023 than his injury-filled 2022 season, with him only appearing in 10 games last year. But how strong he finished the season helped him finish one spot higher on this year's rankings than the year prior, where he came in at sixth. The only RBs ranked higher than Taylor on this year's list were Christian McCaffery, Breece Hall, Nick Chubb, and Saquon Barkley.
His performance in the team's Week 18 loss to the Houston Texans is a perfect example of why they felt Taylor was back to his elite self from 2021. He rushed for 188 yards and one touchdown as the Colts came close to knocking off the red-hot Texans without their starting QB, Anthony Richardson.
This upcoming season, the duo of Taylor and Richardson could potentially be one of the most dynamic rushing attacks in the NFL, and who knows, maybe they will etch their names into the franchise record books in the process. And if Taylor can continue where he left off in Week 18, we could very well see Taylor return to the elite production we saw in 2021.
