The Indianapolis Colts already had a fairly strong and diverse backfield entering the 2020 NFL Draft. Still, Chris Ballard could not pass up the opportunity to take one of the most talented running backs in the class.

Indianapolis selected former Wisconsin star, Jonathan Taylor, in the second round, banking on his upside as a pure runner.

Taylor ran for over 2,000 yards in each of the last two seasons. But he also struggled with fumbles throughout his Badgers career.

To address this, Colts running back coach Tom Rathman said the team has been working on improving Taylor's skills and tendencies as a ballcarrier (via Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star):

“We’ve talked about our four points of pressure, the way we carry the football,” Rathman said. “He can improve the way he carries the football, and just looking at film, he understands that.”

The selection of Taylor might have come as a surprise to some fans.

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Marlon Mack ran for over 1,000 yards last season, and Jordan Wilkins averaged 6.0 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Nyheim Hines offers a change of pace as a receiving threat out of the backfield.

But future considerations likely played into the decision. Mack will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2020 season and could command a decent salary in the open market. Wilkins will also be a free agent after the 2021 season. As such, it appears Taylor is the running back of the future in Indianapolis.

The Colts are confident they can resolve Taylor's fumbling woes, and in doing so, develop a player with the potential to be a future star.