McGinn Files: Jonathan Taylor, the best running back in football
How did he slip in the draft? What compelled Chris Ballard to trade up for the Wisconsin back? Our Hall of Fame scribe tells the story of this MVP candidate.
This is the continuation of a 2023 series looking at active players and their current situation vis a vis what it was entering the NFL draft. The comments from personnel men were made in the months leading up to the draft for my NFL Draft Series, which dates to 1985. Scouting football players is an inexact science, especially when it comes to off-the-field considerations. It has been said that no two evaluators view a player exactly the same way.
By Bob McGinn
In hindsight, should anyone be surprised by running back Jonathan Taylor’s ascent to the pinnacle of his profession?
He averaged more than 2,000 yards rushing over three seasons at the highest level of college football all the while escaping injury.
He ran 40 yards in 4.34 seconds, a fiendishly fast clocking for any back let alone someone packing 226 pounds.
His modesty endears himself to teammates, his intelligence is so high that Harvard was set to admit him and his work ethic always has been among the best on his teams.
All he’s ever done is gain a boatload of yards and score a raft of touchdowns.