Wisconsin Football: Jonathan Taylor Declares for Draft, Where will he end up?

As expected, Wisconsin Football star Jonathan Taylor has declared for the 2020 NFL Draft. So where do the experts have him going in their recent mock drafts?

It wasn’t the way Jonathan Taylor or any player wanted to end the season, but the Badgers loss in the Rose Bowl officially marks the last time that Jonathan Taylor will suit up as a member of the Wisconsin Football team. And what an incredible career it was.

This didn’t come as a shock to anyone, as I’m sure everyone expected Taylor to move on to the NFL after his Junior season, but on Friday evening he made it official with a wonderful video and a heartfelt message for Badger Nation.

Taylor is not just one of the most accomplished running backs we’ve ever seen in a Badger uniform, but he’s one of the most accomplished in NCAA history as well. In his first season he broke the single season rushing record for a freshman with 1,977 yards. Then during his sophomore and junior campaigns, Taylor would rush for over 2,000 yards in each season, while also winning the Doak Walker Award twice, and being named a first-team All-American in each of those seasons as well.

Not to mention that he also holds the NCAA record for most total rushing yards through three seasons. A record that was once held by Herschel Walker.

Yet even with all of his accomplishments as a runner, that wasn’t enough for Taylor and he knew that in order to make him a more desirable running back to NFL teams, he needed to develop as a pass-catcher. So over the last two offseasons, Taylor go to work.

From working on his hands with the jugs machine, to working on his route running with the wide receivers coach, Taylor left no stone unturned and it paid off in a big way this season. After totaling just 16 receptions for 155 yards with no touchdowns in his first two seasons, Taylor would become a weapon out of the backfield for Wisconsin as he hauled in 26 receptions for 252 yards and five touchdowns in 2019.

Now Taylor will begin preparing for the NFL Draft and even though that night is still over four months away, there have been plenty of mock drafts being released by the draft experts. So let’s dive in and take a look at where they have Jonathan Taylor going.

Luke Easterling – The Draft Wire

Round 1, Pick 29: Kansas City Chiefs

"“There are bigger needs on defense, but the Chiefs have the opportunity to take the best running back in a deep class. Taylor is a complete player who would give Patrick Mahomes yet another dynamic weapon, helping balance one of the league’s most explosive offenses.”"

Trevor Sikkema – The Draft Network

Round 1, Pick 26: Kansas City Chiefs

"“Jonathan Taylor put up some of the best numbers in college football history, will run a 4.4 at the combine, and will ace team interviews in an offensive with Patrick Mahomes.Do y’all need a PowerPoint presentation to understand this or can we just go home under the agreement that the Kansas City Chiefs are winning a title with this duo at some point?”"

Carter Donnick – The Draft Network

Round 1, Pick 23: Miami Dolphins

"“Taking an RB in Round 1 may seem like a luxury that a depleted team like Miami can’t afford, but Taylor isn’t your average runner and Miami isn’t your average team.Having already spent two picks at premium positions, addressing a horrible run game with a Nick Chubb-like workhorse is both safe and logical in this scenario.Ryan Fitzpatrick (yes, you heard that right) is currently the Dolphins leading rusher on the season. Taylor would fix that atrocity in an instant.”"

Vinnie Iyer – Sporting News

Round 1, Pick 14: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

"“The Buccaneers have seen flashes from Ronald Jones and Peyton Barber, but they need to clean up that mess with a true three-down workhorse for Bruce Arians. Taylor (5-11, 219 pounds) has great vision and burst as a runner. He also doesn’t get enough credit for what he can do as a receiver, which has been on display more during his final college season. In three years for the Badgers, he has posted 7,025 scrimmage yards and 55 total TDs.”"

Matt Miller – Bleacher Report

Round 2, Pick 45: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Although Taylor is one of – if not – the best running back in this year’s draft, as you can see, in these mock drafts he is all over the place in terms of when he will be drafted. In fact, there are a number of other mock drafts available, that don’t have him as a first round pick. And I think there are two main reasons for that.

The first being that there are concerns with how much usage he had at Wisconsin and if that is going to lead to him breaking down sooner at the NFL level. The second reason is that the running back position, in general, has been devalued in recent seasons as we have seen plenty of mid or even late round draft picks have success in the NFL.

But with that said, regardless of how it shakes out on draft night, I do also know that which ever team selects Taylor will be getting one heck of a football player and running back.