It's still very early in the process, but rookie minicamp is already giving the Jacksonville Jaguars a glimpse of an undrafted talent who's turning heads. Undrafted free agent running back J'Mari Taylor is making a strong impression on offensive coordinator Liam Coen, and for good reason.
Taylor brings an intriguing college résumé to Jacksonville. After four seasons at North Carolina Central, he transferred to Virginia for the 2025 season and made an immediate impact in the ACC. Last year, he rushed for 1,064 yards, averaging 4.8 yards per carry, and found the end zone 14 times on the ground.
What's catching Coen's eye isn't just the raw numbers—it's the context. "I think the word you said, production, when you looked at him against, I guess some of the top backs in the draft, production against the same teams, and what that looked like, I thought that was pretty impressive," Coen said after Saturday's practice.
Taylor's success isn't a fluke. According to Pro Football Focus, he ranked 38th in average yards after contact and tied for 18th in missed tackles forced, showing a knack for breaking tackles and keeping drives alive. That physical style makes him a handful for defenders, especially late in games.
But Taylor isn't just a between-the-tackles grinder. He was also heavily involved in the passing game, with 54 targets last season—tied for the fourth-most among all running backs. That dual-threat ability makes him a valuable commodity in today's NFL.
"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 added. "So people just bounced off of him in ways. He forced a lot of missed tackles, and he's super sharp."
The Jaguars' running back room already features Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez, and LeQuint Allen at the top of the depth chart. But last season, Jacksonville often carried four running backs on the active roster. If Coen follows that same approach, Taylor's versatility and production could give him a real shot at earning a spot on the 53-man roster.