Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor ranks among the fastest players in the NFL ahead of the 2024 season.
With help from 40-yard dash times and NFL Next Gen Stats, Marcus Mosher of the 33rd Football Team compiled a list of the top-25 fastest players in football. Clocking in at No. 18 was Taylor.
Here is what Mosher had to say:
“Jonathan Taylor has been hampered by leg and back injuries during the last two seasons, which has deprived us of seeing one of the most explosive backs in the league. During the 2021 season, Taylor had three runs where his top speed hit at least 21.8 mph. He even hit 22.1 mph on a 67-yard touchdown against the Patriots, the fastest in the NFL that year.”
At the top of this list is rookie receiver Xavier Worthy, who ran a 4.21-second 40 time at the NFL Combine. Rounding out the top-five are Tyreek Hill, DK Metcalf, De’Von Achane, and Chase Brown.
Two spots ahead of Taylor at Nos. 16 and 17 are Breece Hall and Derrick Henry. Just behind Taylor at No. 19 and No. 20 are Curtis Samuel and Denzel Ward.
Perhaps next offseason, we will see Adonai Mitchell, who ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash, make this list.
Taylor was limited to only 10 games last season due to injury and averaged 4.4 yards per attempt, with seven rushing touchdowns, while totaling just shy of 900 yards.
Unlike this time last year, Taylor is fully healthy this offseason, which has GM Chris Ballard believing that “a really big year” is in store for him. Taylor, meanwhile, said after Wednesday’s OTA practice that he is “feeling great” about where he’s at.
Due to Taylor’s early season injury and Anthony Richardson’s rookie year being cut short, the two were only on the field for two snaps together in 2023. But now, with both players healthy, having that one-two punch out of the backfield will amplify the Colts’ play-action game and really stress opposing defenses.
“To have Anthony and JT back there,” said offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, “JT has an extensive history with a lot of success, leading the league in rushing. Now we’ve got Anthony, where a defense, gosh, there may be that mesh on a run play and it’s JT going left and it’s Anthony going right, and as a defense, how do you defend that?
“You have two really explosive players that maybe have a chance to end up with the ball on a run play, how do you defend all that? It is exciting.”
