Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor and wide receiver/special teamer Ashton Dulin were recognized by Pro Football Focus as the 2021 season hits its final turn.
Through three quarters of the regular season, PFF released the players they believe are deserving of All-Pro recognition. Two players—Taylor and Dulin—were named to the first team while linebacker Darius Leonard was named to the second team.
First up is Taylor, who is on pace to lead the NFL in just about every rushing category.
As soon as the Derrick Henry MVP hype train was dashed by injury, the Jonathan Taylor one took its place on the tracks. Henry was head and shoulders above any other back in terms of production, and now that’s Taylor, who leads the league in rushing yards by almost 400.
Taylor is averaging 5.6 yards per carry and 3.7 yards per carry after contact. He has been outstanding at maximizing runs when his offensive line blocks the play well and solid at generating his own yardage when it doesn’t. Taylor now has 17 runs of 15-plus yards, five more than any other player.
Taylor finds himself in the MVP conversation and while it will be difficult to win the award, simply being in the conversation shows how stellar of a campaign he’s having.
Dulin was recognized as a special teams player by PFF:
Dulin has seen some snaps and made some big plays on offense for the Colts — a result of his hard work on special teams. He has 221 snaps of action on special teams across four different phases, racking up a league-leading 16 tackles in that facet.
Dulin has been one of the more underrated impact players for the Colts in 2021, mostly because his impact comes on special teams. Still, he’s emerging as a crucial player for the Colts down the stretch.
Finally, Leonard was named as the second-team linebacker.
Seemingly perfecting the “Peanut Punch,” Darius Leonard has forced five fumbles this season, two more than any other off-ball linebacker.
The Colts are likely to be recognized plenty when the awards come out following the season, and PFF is sure to be a part of that group that gives the credit that these Colts players deserve.
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