When groups follow their draft board and take one of the best participant obtainable quite than reaching for a necessity, it could actually pay dividends.

For the Indianapolis Colts, they consider on this method wholeheartedly and it is led to some absolute house run picks within the NFL Draft, significantly through the Chris Ballard period.

It seems that Bleacher Report agrees with the Colts’ methodology, as their Maurice Moton lately put collectively an inventory of essentially the most dominant participant at every place group within the NFL, and a few Colts homegrown expertise is represented.

On their record, B/R listed Colts left guard Quenton Nelson because the next-best inside offensive lineman within the NFL following Dallas Cowboys guard Zack Martin. Nevertheless, they gave the popularity outright to Colts working again Jonathan Taylor and linebacker Darius Leonard every as No. 1.

This is what Moton needed to say about Taylor:

Operating Again: Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
After a formidable rookie season, Jonathan Taylor established consistency in emphatic trend, profitable the 2021 speeding title with 1,811 yards to associate with a league-leading 18 touchdowns.

Taylor does not slot in the identical mildew as the highest dual-threat working backs similar to Alvin Kamara and Austin Ekeler, however he is one of many few workhorse ball-carriers across the league.

Final 12 months, the Colts fielded a top-10 scoring offense largely due to what Taylor can do on the bottom. In 2021, they’d the sixth-fewest passing makes an attempt and ranked twenty sixth in yards by way of the air.

Although Indianapolis did not have its greatest offensive lineman in guard Quenton Nelson for 4 video games, the bottom assault ranked second leaguewide with Taylor racking up 71 p.c of these yards…

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Taylor burst onto the scene as a rookie by capping off his common season with the Colts’ single-game speeding document, totaling 253 yards in opposition to the Jacksonville Jaguars and ending third within the NFL general on the season. However his unbelievable sophomore season was even higher, tallying 332 carries for 1,811 yards (5.5 avg.) and 18 touchdowns to go together with 40 receptions (51 targets) for 360 yards (9.0 avg.) and a pair of touchdowns. He led the NFL in speeding over the subsequent participant by 25 carries, 552 speeding yards, and three speeding touchdowns. As a matter of truth, Taylor had 1,272 speeding yards after contact alone, which might’ve been ok for third within the league general.

He had maybe the best season for a working again in Colts franchise historical past, setting a number of crew bests, however he additionally made his mark league-wide. Taylor tied for essentially the most consecutive video games in NFL historical past with a minimum of 100 speeding yards and a speeding landing (8) and can be the youngest participant in NFL historical past with a minimum of 2,000 scrimmage yards (2,171) and 20 scrimmage touchdowns (20) in a single season.

Individually, Taylor completed about all that he might, together with the Professional Bowl and a unanimous First-Staff All-Professional nod. He earned the AFC Offensive Participant of the Week award as soon as (Week 11), AFC Offensive Participant of the Month twice (October and November), and the FedEx Floor Participant of the Week 4 occasions (Weeks 6, 10, 13, and 15).

Via two seasons, Taylor has began 30-of-32 video games and totaled 564 carries for two,980 yards (5.3 avg.) and 29 touchdowns in addition to 76 receptions (90 targets) for 659 yards (8.7 avg.) and one other 3 touchdowns.

Nearly as good of a begin as Taylor has needed to his profession, he isn’t the one Colts participant who could make that declare. Listed below are Moton’s ideas on Leonard:

Linebacker: Darius Leonard, Indianapolis Colts
Darius Leonard had some of the spectacular 2021 seasons as a result of he performed by way of an ankle harm. Based on The Athletic’s Zak Keefer, the Indianapolis Colts linebacker underwent surgical procedure final offseason however handled lingering results:

“The midsummer surgical procedure the Colts’ Professional Bowl linebacker had on his ankle did not maintain the ache away as soon as the season began. Leonard wasn’t himself — wasn’t near himself — the primary six video games. So he modified his routine, dug into extra movie, scheduled nightly rehab classes at his house and slogged by way of it.“

Keefer additionally identified that Leonard had skilled some household hardships. In Could, the 26-year-old stated he “fell out of affection for the sport.”

Regardless of the bodily and psychological obstacles, Leonard solely missed one contest whereas on the reserve/COVID-19 record in 2021, registering 122 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, eight move breakups, 4 interceptions and a league-leading eight pressured fumbles in his third first-team All-Professional 12 months.

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If Leonard can do this whereas hampered with harm and an absence of ardour for the sport, he is a particular playmaker who will attain one other degree when wholesome and refocused.

Per Keefer, Leonard underwent again surgical procedure, which is linked to his calf issues from the earlier marketing campaign, however he is anticipated to be prepared for the common season. Assuming that is the case, pencil him in as essentially the most dominant participant at linebacker…

Leonard is among the most statistically completed defenders within the NFL since becoming a member of the league in 2018 when he was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the 12 months.

He is the one participant with 10-plus sacks and 10-plus interceptions over that point, and he is additionally amassed 17 pressured fumbles, 7 fumbles recovered, 30 move breakups, and 538 tackles (30 for loss).

Leonard has a monitor document of doing a bit of little bit of the whole lot, together with main the NFL in tackles as a rookie (163) and compelled fumbles in 2021 (8). He has three Professional Bowls and 4 All-Execs (three First-Staff, one Second-Staff) in 4 years.

“The Maniac” has actually uncommon playmaking capacity, as opposing offenses know that he is able to sitting on a route and choosing off passes or doing his patented ball punch to trigger fumbles, however he nonetheless does it regularly regardless.

Do you think about any Colts gamers to be essentially the most dominant at their positions? Drop your ideas under within the remark part!

Comply with Jake on Twitter and Fb @JakeArthurNFL. Comply with Horseshoe Huddle on Fb and Twitter.