J.J. Taylor: The Undrafted Running Back Making His Mark In The NFL
Discover how J.J. Taylor went from an undrafted free agent to an NFL standout with the Patriots and Texans. Learn about his journey, key stats, and career highlights in this detailed profile.
Jul 27, 202511.5K Shares371.2K Views
J.J. Taylorhas surprised many in the NFL with strong play despite being overlooked in the draft. After starring at Arizona with powerful runs and skills as a passer and returner, he signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and quickly earned a spot on the opening-day team. His size may be small, just 5 foot 6, but he makes up for it with explosive speed, hard running, and excellent hands out of the backfield.
Early Life
Joseph Justyn “J.J.” Taylor was born on January 4, 1998, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and later grew up in Corona, California. He graduated from Centennial High School in Corona in 2016, where he played as a running back after switching from defensive back. In his senior year, he rushed for 2,290 yards and scored 44 touchdowns, earning honors as Mr. Football, received All‑Inland First Team honors, and was named a Blue‑Grey All‑American. He was rated as a three‑star recruit by Scout.com, Rivals.com, and 247Sports. His college offers included schools like Washington State, Nevada, Ohio, Montana State, Sacramento State, and Weber State. He chose to play at the University of Arizona starting in 2016.
College Career
J.J. Taylor played for the University of Arizona from 2016 to 2019 and became one of the school’s top rushers. As a true freshman in 2016, he appeared in four games before breaking his ankle, yet still rushed for 261 yards and scored two touchdowns on 38 carries. In 2017, he shared Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year honors after rushing 847 yards on 146 carries with five touchdowns, and adding two receiving scores.
His breakout came in 2018: as a redshirt sophomore he carried the ball 255 times for 1,434 yards (5.6 yards per carry) and six rushing touchdowns, while recording 16 catches for 133 yards receiving; he also returned kicks and finished second in the Pac‑12 in all‑purpose yards per game with 175.6, earning First Team All‑Pac‑12 and Third Team AP All‑American honors.
In 2019, battling injuries and changes up front, he still managed 721 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 148 carries, plus 289 receiving yards on 32 catches, before choosing to forgo his senior year and enter the 2020 NFL Draft. Over his college career, he ran for a total of 3,263 yards with an average of 5.6 yards per carry, scored 18 rushing touchdowns, and added 487 receiving yards and two receiving TDs for 3,750 scrimmage yards in 40 games.
Professional Career
J.J. Taylor began his NFL journey with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent on May 5, 2020. Although he was waived before the season, he quickly joined the practice squad and was promoted to the active roster just two days later, making his NFL debut in Week 1 of the 2020 season. He played six games that year, rushing 23 times for 110 yards (averaging 4.8 yards per carry) and catching one pass for four yards.
Taylor’s standout moment came on October 24, 2021, when he scored two rushing touchdowns and ran for 21 yards in a lopsided win over the New York Jets. That season, he played five games, carried the ball 19 times for 37 yards, and scored his first two NFL touchdowns, also catching four passes for eight yards and returning one kickoff for 25 yards. In 2022, he appeared in only one game, totaling 10 rushes for 9 yards and one reception for 8 yards.
On November 1, 2023, Taylor signed with the Houston Texans’ practice squad and later earned a reserve/future contract on January 22, 2024. He was released in late August but rejoined the practice squad the next day and was promoted to the active roster on October 30, 2024. By late January 2025, he signed another reserve/future deal with the Texans.
Across his NFL career through 2024, Taylor has appeared in 17 games without any starts. He has carried the ball 62 times for 200 yards (an average of about 3.2 yards per carry) and has scored two rushing touchdowns. He also caught eight passes for 20 yards. Known for his speed, low center of gravity, and versatility in roles like special teams and return duties, Taylor earned praise from Pro Football Focus as one of the top undrafted rookie signings and for being a strong fit as a change-of-pace back in New England.
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