AFC South Power Ranking: Colts, Titans, Texans, and Jaguars running backs

3. Indianapolis Colts

With their decision to spend a second-round draft pick on rookie running back Jonathan Taylor out of Wisconsin, the Indianapolis Colts will be building a solid one-two punch around fourth-year player Marlon Mack that has the potential to become deadly as soon as this season.

But before anointing them any higher than third place, I’ll want to see them in action. Because for as high a ceiling as their potential partnership has, both Mack and Taylor come with their own set of concerns as players.

Mack’s 2019 season saw him break the 1,000-yard mark for rushing on a career-high 247 carries, but it was the first time in his career that Mack was able to reach four-digit yards on the ground, and he wasn’t able to add much value via receiving yards either. Taylor, who was a solid pass-catcher in college last year, could help add some passing value to the running back group but has questions about ball security after losing 15 fumbles in college.

What’s clear is that the best-case scenario for both Mack and Taylor is high. Despite the concerns that Taylor brings with him to the NFL level, he’s still a two-time Doak Walker award winner with a clear amount of talent. Mack is no slouch himself, and even with the arrival of Taylor, Mack’s upside should let him carve out a significant role in the Colts offense. But Mack’s ability to reach 1,000 yards again, along with Taylor’s ball-security concerns, gives their partnership the chance to come short of meeting expectations. For now, the Indianapolis running back group is firmly in third.