Wisconsin Badgers have always been known for two things: making big big burly men on the offensive line, and producing well-rounded running backs to run behind those monstrous men. Since they pick at 30, the Packers 1st round pick could be a running back.
Why Consider Jonathan Taylor?
Before we dive fully into why I think he would be good fit for the Packers, I’m sure most of you are thinking, “But Dustin, the Packers have Aaron Jones”. It may be true we have a star in Jones. He had a great year, tieing for the league lead in touchdowns. Aaron Jones is a great player, but he is also coming up on a contract year, along with Jamaal Williams the Packers 2nd leading rusher the past two seasons. We also have contracts for three of our offensive linemen coming up. We can’t keep everyone so why not plan for that future?
Who is Jonathan Taylor?
When I watch Taylor run, he reminds me of a young Adrian Peterson. His ability to shed off would-be tacklers and outpace the defence is next to none. Not to mention the fact that he holds the college football record for the most yards through a junior season and the record for the most games with 200 yards rushing.
There are many reasons to draft Taylor, especially after his dominant combine performance. For starters, he ran a lightning fast 40 yard dash of 4.39, the fastest of any running back this year. He posted a respectable 17 reps on the bench press and absolutely shined in the pass catching drills. The vision he showed in college and his patience behind his blockers provides some intangibles we see in the greats.
To Conclude:
I think it’s about time to realize Aaron Rodgers isn’t getting any younger and we are going to need a back who can really help carry the load. We know from Taylor’s 300 carries each of the last 3 years means he is up to the task. Some say it’s wear and tear, I’d say it’s valuable experience and proof he is a true three-down back that can carry the load when needed.
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