Marlon Mack Finishes Below 900 Yards
After suffering through multiple hamstring strains and broken hand in the past two seasons, no one could blame the Colts for drafting the way they did. Indianapolis used the 41st overall pick to select Jonathan Taylor, the No. 6 rusher in the history of the NCAA and multiple-time 2,000 yard performer. While the two-time 1st-Team All-American is not expected to become the feature back this season, it stands to reason that his selection is intended to offer a complementary piece next to Mack.
The team has had a handful of struggles with this for years; while the emergence of Mack in the past several seasons has worked wonders for the offense, the Colts have had a hard time finding a stable presence to take the workload off of him. Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins can provide carries, but rarely present substantial value in today’s running back-by-committee culture.
With Taylor in tow, the team likely believes they now have the perfect complement and a stable backup in case of future injury to Mack, who has also rarely provided much value in the receiving game; but with Taylor’s five receiving touchdowns as a senior and his 4.39 40-yard dash, offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni may look to develop his pass-catching skill set to provide even more utility.
Pair all of this with a likely increased workload in the pass game for the entire offense due to the Rivers signing, and Mack’s numbers seem headed downhill. He will continue to produce in his opportunities, but with more talent around him and a new offensive paradigm, expect those opportunities to become a bit more sparse.