Rough break for Jonathan Taylor: This ranking has the Colts’ player outside the top 10 NFL running backs

In the eyes of many NFL fans, Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is one of the most effective and most consistent in his position in the entire league.

The 26-year-old is a two-time Pro Bowler and he led the league for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in 2021. Across his five seasons with the Colts he’s racked up 6,013 rushing yards and has recorded 56 total touchdowns.

But Pro Football Focus analyst Trevor Sikkema thinks otherwise. In his recently-released ranking of the best RBs in the NFL, Sikkema has Taylor all the way down in 14th place. Here’s a look at Sikkema’s top 20...

So why was Johnson so low in this ranking? While he does boast a lot of rushing yards, his Pro Football Focus (PFF) rushing grade did dip in 2024. The rushing grade takes into account more data than traditional metrics, factoring in the quality of opposition defense and the player’s ability to make a play after contact.

Sikkema explained: “Taylor has the volume stats, with more than 6,000 rushing yards over the past five years. But he also owns just a 74.4 cumulative PFF rushing grade across the past three seasons. He recorded the lowest PFF rushing grade of his career in 2024 (64.1).”

Some will also be surprised to see Saquon Barkley, who helped the Eagles to the Super Bowl last season, at No. 2 in the list. In 2024 Barkley was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year and set a new record for the most rushing yards in a single season.

Nevertheless, Sikkema points out that Derrick Henry had “the highest PFF rushing grade in a three-year sample size” and last year “forced the most missed tackles (89) and ripped off the second-most runs of 10 yards or more (53).”

Now 31, Henry remains an incredibly consistent performer for the Baltimore Ravens and he boasts his own bulging trophy cabinet. ‘King Henry’ is a three-time NFL rushing yards leader and has been named to the Pro Bowl five times.

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