Redskins full NFL first-round mock: Is Chase Young the one?
By Ian Cummings
42. . Running Back. San Francisco 49ers. Jonathan Taylor. 32. player
In an unpredictable twist that makes the NFL so captivating from year to year, the San Francisco 49ers are the last undefeated team left at the halfway point of the 2019 regular season. The defense has been elite, and the offense has been extraordinarily efficient. Kyle Shanahan’s vision is effectively being realized.
Jimmy Garoppolo deserves credit for the part he’s played in the offense’s smooth sailing thus far, but Shanahan’s rushing game has perhaps facilitated the team’s offensive dominance. It’s not an old-school, ground-and-pound attack, however; Shanahan implements modern concepts and creativity into his zone scheme, and he uses diverse blocking designs to get his playmakers into space from start to finish.
Matt Breida, Tevin Coleman, and Raheem Mostert are all great fits for this system, as they all possess the speed and vision to make the most out of the space that Shanahan gives them. But why not add a running back who can add another dimension to this outfit? Why not add Jonathan Taylor, and subsequently cause all other teams to wave the white flag in the time of possession battle?
On both the traditionalist checklist, and on the modernized checklist, Taylor checks most, if not all, of the boxes. He’s big and physical. He’s fast enough to turn the corner and separate vertically. He thrives on run volume. He can pass catch out of the backfield effectively. He has excellent vision and patience.
The one potential drawback to using a first-round pick on Taylor is wear and tear. In three collegiate seasons, Taylor has 783 carries and counting, and he’s experienced a great deal of contact to this point. He has no injury history, but he might not have as much tread on his tires as Shanahan would prefer, coming out of college.
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Still, Taylor is a multi-faceted runner who would unequivocally dominate in Shanahan’s system. He would add to Shanahan’s versatile stable of backs, and give Shanahan a workhorse to go to if he feels like pounding his opponent into submission, just for good measure.