There wasn’t much doubt that Jonathan Taylor would be a successful running back in the NFL. If his three seasons at Wisconsin taught us anything, it was to not bet against the star ball carrier.

But it’s hard to imagine anyone thinking the former Badgers back would have this much success as a rookie in the big leagues. Taylor jumped into a big role with the Indianapolis Colts as a rookie and delivered in many ways.

Indianapolis fell to Buffalo 27-24 in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs on Saturday, with Taylor totaling 78 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. He also caught 2 passes for 6 yards in the loss. It wasn’t Taylor’s performance over the weekend that had everyone talking, though.

As a rookie, Taylor finished the 2020 NFL season with 1,247 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground. He added 305 yards and another score on the receiving end and totaled 291 touches with the Colts.

Not a bad start for the former Badgers.

Taylor is in the running to be the NFL Rookie of the Year after a huge season in Indianapolis. But we shouldn’t be surprised by his success at the pro level. He looked like an NFL running back from his first carry in Madison.