As most of you know I’m a big comparisons guy. I think the best way to project potential success or potential failure is to define what guys with similar body types, athleticism, production, etc have done and use it to project prospects each draft season.
I just wanted to make note that as I watched more of Jonathan Taylor during his time at Wisconsin and looked for a similar qualities, the ONLY comparison I found that is suitable from a build/athleticism, weakness/strength stand point is....
Adrian Peterson
1. Build: The resemblance is uncanny - chiseled but extremely lean throughout their mid section with tree trunk legs and well built shoulders. Both guys are higher-waisted with fairly long arms and legs. Very few RBs at this level have this build, as you usually see guys carrying more weight in their mid-section with much shorter legs, allowing for natural ability to wiggle through holes. Taylor, like AD, made up for it with vision and once they both are able to hit the second level, the long-striding nature becomes a gift and not a curse.
2. Athleticism: Neither man should be the athlete they are at their size, but both are elite level athletes with other-worldly top end speed. Adrian Peterson was a 4.40 guy at 221 pounds, whereas Taylor was even faster at 4.39 at 226 pounds. Agility testing numbers were virtually identical, with both running a 7-flat in the three-cone drill, a drill that does not play well to their frames.
3. Weakness(es): There’s two major, identical weaknesses with both guys. The bigger issue is fumbling. Jonathan Taylor had ball security issues throughout his Wisconsin career, and Peterson helped secure our hometown Saints a spot in the Super Bowl. This is a natural more common than average occurrence given the above mentioned longer arms, creating more room for the ball to move. Another issue, is pass catching. Peterson has rarely been called upon as a pass catching weapon out of the backfield, and it’s unlikely that will become a strength of Taylor’s as well.
4. Strengths: Peterson at the top of his game was the best pure runner in the NFL for a long time, and it may be lofty but I would venture to say Jonathan Taylor can compete for that mark at the next level as well. They compensate for their lack of quick, nimble feet in the hole by being powerful, one-cut and accelerate burners when they find the crease. Like Peterson, Taylor is prone to getting stuffed when he’s cut off in the hole, but as soon as he gets to the second level of the defense he just has another gear that very few humans can match, with power and strength to bully NFL defensive backs.
This is lofty, I know. But the comparable traits are striking to me. Anyone else see a better comp?