10 NFL rookies who could become instant stars in 2020

Jonathan Taylor – Indianapolis Colts

It wasn’t just the passing game that the Colts addressed during the draft, Indianapolis grabbing its long-term starter at the running back position by selecting Jonathan Taylor seven picks after Pittman.

Like Pittman, Taylor has a clear path to a significant workload as he steps into a backfield where his primary competition for snaps will be Marlon Mack, who is entering the final year of his contract.

Mack may have the edge over Taylor when it comes to catching passes out of the backfield but it is the former Wisconsin star who is significantly better equipped to be the workhorse for the Colts.

At 5-foot-10 and 226 pounds, vision, burst, power and agility are all fixtures of Taylor’s game and enabled him to record successive 2,000-yard rushing seasons in 2018 and ’19 after falling 23 yards shy of achieving the feat as a freshman in ’17.

He is unlikely to receive so many carries as to threaten that total with the Colts. However, Taylor enters the league as a legitimate three-down back who should get the bulk of the goal-line work.

Running behind a strong offensive line headlined by two-time first-team All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson, that is a recipe for a hugely productive first season for Taylor. Look for him to be firmly in the mix for Offensive Rookie of the Year come the end of the 2020 campaign.