Colts' Jonathan Taylor Given Baffling NFL-Wide Ranking

Last year, Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor led the NFL in carries (323), rushing touchdowns (18), total touchdowns (20), and rushing first downs (84).

He was second in touches (369) and third in rushing yards (1,585) and yards from scrimmage (1,963), eighth among running backs in receiving first downs (15), and tied for 10th in yards per carry (4.9).

Taylor had eight games with at least 100 yards from scrimmage (including three with 150-plus) and five games with at least three touchdowns.

He set new career highs in pass targets (55), receptions (46), receiving yards (378), and tied his single-season best in receiving touchdowns (2). Taylor also reached new highs in receiving first downs (15), receiving success rate (54.5%), and pass protection grade (58.6), according to Pro Football Focus.

Taylor surpassed Hall-of-Famer Edgerrin James' franchise career rushing touchdown record and is now 1,629 rushing yards shy of claiming that title as well. Taylor also ranks fifth in NFL history in rushing yards per game (90.5), behind only Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis, and Eric Dickerson.

READ MORE: Another New Prediction Says Colts Trade Anthony Richardson Sr.

Taylor has led the NFL in carries, rushing touchdowns, and total touchdowns twice, was named a First-Team All-Pro in 2021 for leading the NFL in rushing yards, and has been selected to three Pro Bowls.

Still, PFF recently ranked Taylor as the seventh-best running back in the NFL behind Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey, De'Von Achane, and James Cook.

Seventh.

"Taylor looked like a potential MVP candidate through the first 10 weeks of the season before tapering off down the stretch," PFF's Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick wrote. "However, he still led the league with 18 rushing touchdowns, and his 1,585 rushing yards slotted third. 

"Taylor’s 3,016 rushing yards since 2024 are third in the NFL, as are his 1,949 yards after contact. His 83.5 PFF rushing grade in 2025 was also his highest in four years."

Taylor is closer to being the seventh-best player in the NFL than he is to being the seventh-best running back.  

READ MORE: Colts Reveal Themes for 2026 Games

For reference, a recent ESPN poll of dozens of NFL coaches, executives, and scouts ranked Taylor as the fifth-best running back in the NFL, with votes as high as No. 2. The NFL also just released its list of the top 10 runs of the year, and Taylor had three of them — more than anyone else — Nos. 1, 4, and 6.

As Wasserman and Chadwick mentioned, Taylor was a legitimate MVP candidate throughout the early portion of the 2025 season, and the only reason anybody caught him for the rushing title (which would've been the second of his career) was that quarterback Daniel Jones was lost for the year.

At that point, 43-year-old Philip Rivers took over, and with his complete lack of mobility, the Colts were in shotgun 93.8% of the time (SumerSports), which isn't conducive to an effective run game. The Colts also began working through injuries to offensive tackles Bernhard Raimann and Braden Smith.

Ultimately, Taylor went from averaging 139.9 yards of offense per game with 17 total touchdowns through the first 10 games to 80.6 yards of offense and three total touchdowns in the final seven.

The Colts will be as reliant as ever on Taylor in 2026 as they work Jones back from his Achilles injury.