Many consider Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor to be the best running back in this year's NFL Draft class, and Taylor himself is not going to disagree with that assessment.
He solidified his case with a terrific performance in the Scouting Combine, posting the fastest 40-yard-dash time of any of the other halfbacks participating.
When discussing his potential, Taylor mentioned himself in the same breath as star NFL running backs such as Todd Gurley, Saquon Barkley and Ezekiel Elliott.
“Todd Gurley was a playmaker on the field, Zeke was a playmaker on the field, Saquon was a playmaker on the field,” Taylor said, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. “Same thing with myself: playmaker on the field. I’ve been constantly able to make plays for three years, and that’s something I really wanted coming into college. I wanted to make sure for the three years I was here, that I was consistent, coaches knew what they were getting out of me every single practice, game, rep.”
Those are certainly some lofty comparisons, but based on his collegiate production, you can see why.
Taylor is coming off of a junior campaign in which he racked up 2,003 yards and 21 touchdowns while averaging 6.3 yards per carry. In addition, he caught 26 passes for 252 yards and five scores.
In three seasons at Wisconsin overall, the 21-year-old accumulated 6,174 yards while reaching the end zone 50 times as a rusher, logging a hefty 6.7 yards per attempt.
He still has to prove himself on the professional level, but if there are any halfbacks in this draft who could reach the level of the names mentioned above, Taylor seems to be the best bet.
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