PRO 2026 Rookie Spotlight: J’Mari Taylor, RB Virginia
Height: 5-9
Weight: 205
2026 Age: 24
Hands: 9 1/8″
Arm: 30 1/8″
Projected 40: 4.71 (pro day adjusted)
Breakout Age: 22 (RS Junior)
NFL Play-Style Comparison: Ronnie Hillman, Malik Davis
Draft Grade: 5.77 (6th-7th Round)
1,000+ Rushing Seasons: 2
Offensive Market Share Metrics (Final Season)
Carries: 222
Receptions: 43
Scrimmage Yards: 1,315
Scrimmage TDs: 15
Total Production Percentage: 27.4%
High School: West Mecklenburg HS (Charlotte, NC)
As a high school prospect: Class of 2020; NR
College Attended: NC Central (5), Virginia (1)
Pros
– 54 Targets in 2025. 2nd most in Power-4. Trailed DeJuan Williams, Maryland by 9
– 8th in the Power 4 with 753 yards after contact in 2025, 9th in Missed Tackles Forced (55)
– 2025 All-ACC First Team, 2024 Walter Payton Award finalist (FCS Heisman)
– Street savvy out of the backfield as a pass catcher (pre-catch)
– Two seasons with 25+ receptions. Two seasons with 1,000+ rushing yards.
Cons
– Lacks the short-area acceleration and drive to get through the second level in the blink of an eye.
– Averaged over 5.5 yards per carry in just three games in 2025. (23% of games). Five games with 4.0 or fewer yards per carry.
– 5 Drops out of the backfield. (2nd most in the Power 4)
– Too often, it seems like he doesn’t rev the engine up all the way, either slowing up to finish a run or just slowly giving up because the play broke down at the LOS.
Highlight/Film – (J’Mari Taylor is #3)
Scouting Notes:
After five seasons at North Carolina Central, accumulating 1,882 rushing yards and 615 receiving yards, Taylor transferred up north to Virginia, where he split the backfield 60-40 with Senior Harrison
Waylee. Impressively, Taylor outperformed his NC-Central (FCS) stats from 2024, in his first season in the ACC.
Street savvy out of the backfield, can feel the quarterback begin to break the pocket, and Taylor finds open green grass smoothly to help his Quarterback. Good vision and patience, creates well with wiggle and lateral agility. However, he truly lacks short-area acceleration and the next-level long speed. Tough runner who occasionally runs with a high center of gravity with a ton of surface area. Symmetrical calves. Too often, it seems like he doesn’t rev the engine up all the way, either slowing up to finish a run or just slowly giving up because the play broke down at the LOS. Taylor is just 5-9 and 204 lbs, but pulls a plow and finishes like a FedEx truck. If he’s moving downhill at speed, he’ll run through you, but if you catch him from the side with a slice of wind, you can launch him into the ditch.
