Trio Of Colts Named To PFF's Third-Quarter All-Pro Team
In recent weeks, the Indianapolis Colts have gone from a playoff afterthought to a franchise smack dab in the middle of a serious run that has them inside the playoff picture coming out of a much-needed Week 14 bye.
That run can be attributed to health, good coaching, some luck and a trio of players that have put the team on their backs.
Those three players are star running back and NFL MVP frontrunner Jonathan Taylor, star linebacker and Defensive Player of the Year candidate Darius Leonard, and Mr. Glue Guy himself, wide receiver and special teams ace Ashton Dulin.
© Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
All three, thanks to their contributions in the middle of the season, landed on Pro Football Focus's Third-Quarter All-Pro team, which chose players through Week 13.
Taylor edged out Cincinnati's Joe Mixon for the first-team All-Pro running back for PFF, thanks to his 1,348 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on 241 carries, adding another 36 receptions for 336 yards and two touchdowns, putting him firmly in the discussion for the NFL's MVP award.
© Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
The second-year running back leads the league in carries, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and his 5.6 yards per carry average is the eighth-best in NFL history for running backs with 240+ carries, according to Pro Football Reference.
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.
Leonard has been just as good as Taylor, thanks to his incredibly impressive consistency at forcing turnovers.
The fourth-year linebacker finished second behind New Orleans Saints' linebacker Demario Davis, landing on the All-Pro team as a second teamer.
On the year, Leonard has 97 tackles, three tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions, single-handedly lifting the Colts' defense to new heights in 2021.
Seemingly perfecting the “Peanut Punch,” Darius Leonard has forced five fumbles this season, two more than any other off-ball linebacker.
Though he's a second teamer behind Davis on PFF's All-Pro team, there's no doubt Leonard will be in first team discussions due to his turnover prowess, and will garner votes for Defensive Player of the Year.
Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Then, quietly there's Dulin, arguably one of the most important players on the Colts' roster these last few years despite not being much of a big name or making many big plays.
That's changed some this season as Dulin has emerged as more of a receiving threat, hauling in 12 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns on the year, while also being "Johnny on the spot" with three fumble recoveries, one of which went for a touchdown.
Dulin landed on PFF's first team All-Pro special teams slot, edging out Los Angeles Rams' second-year pro Jamir Jones, who started the season with the Pittsburgh Steelers before being waived and then claimed by the Rams.
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.
There's no doubt that once the regular season comes to an end, all three names will be featured prominently on the NFL's First-Team or Second-Team All-Pro lists, as voted on by the media.
Have thoughts on Jonathan Taylor, Darius Leonard and Ashton Dulin landing on PFF's Third-Quarter All-Pro team? Drop a line in the comments section below letting us know how you feel!
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