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How one Jaguars' UDFA can standout during practices
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- How one Jaguars' UDFA can standout during practices
During OTAs and minicamp, the pads are not on, and contact is not permitted. However, Jacksonville Jaguars rookie running back J'Mari Taylor is already looking forward to training camp and that first day in pads.
It is here that Taylor can potentially begin differentiating himself and what he can add to this Jaguars ' roster.
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"First day putting on pads, man, turning into a different animal," Taylor said. "Guys, they watch me on film; they want to see what I put on film in college and bring it out here. It's all competitive because we all got to do our 1/11th. Of course we all a team, but may the best man win."
Taylor went undrafted this past April out of Virginia after spending four seasons at North Carolina Central.
Taylor put together a productive season in the ACC, rushing for 1,064 yards at 4.8 yards per attempt. But the reason that he could shine in pads is because of how difficult Taylor has been to bring down.
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Among eligible running backs last season, Taylor ranked 38th in average yards after contact and tied for 18th in missed tackles forced, per PFF .
Not to be overlooked either, but Taylor was quite active in the passing game as well, an important element to playing running back in Liam Coen's offense.
"Obviously, the season that Virginia had, and a lot of it had to do with his success and his ability to affect the game both in the run and the pass game as well," Coen said during rookie minicamp . "So people just bounced off of him in ways. He forced a lot of missed tackles, and he's super sharp."
The top of the running back depth chart seems pretty well set between Bhayshul Tuten , Chris Rodriguez , and LeQuint Allen . However, for much of last year, we did see the Jaguars carry four running backs, which Taylor could force the team to do again with a strong showing in training camp.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Why Jaguars' UDFA RB J'Mari Taylor is excited for the pads to come on
