Jonathan Taylor would not only help the Broncos win, he’d help Bo Nix succeed

Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt argues that Nix plays best as part of a balanced offense, and that a back like Jonathan Taylor could help unlock the passing game

BY JOEY FREEBURG

Oct 28, 2026, 10:30 AM

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Watch: Should the Broncos be ALL IN on Jonathan Taylor? | Stokley and Evans with Mark Schlereth | 1 min

Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt argues that Nix plays best as part of a balanced offense, and that a back like Jonathan Taylor could help unlock the passing game.

Jonathan Taylor’s name has been all over Broncos Country this week. The 27-year-old Colts running back is reportedly available in trade talks, and for a Denver team that hasn’t been able to run the ball consistently, the fit is easy to see. Taylor is a three-time Pro Bowler and a one-time All-Pro. He has carried an offense before, and the Broncos’ backfield is badly in need of someone who can do that.

On a recent edition of “Stokley and Evans, with Mark Schlereth” on 104.3 The Fan, Fox Sports NFL and college football analyst Joel Klatt joined the show, and Schlereth asked him directly.

“Would you be in on Jonathan Taylor if you’re the Broncos?” Schlereth asked.

Klatt didn’t hesitate.

“I would be in on anything that would help me run the football with more efficiency. And if you tell me that that’s Jonathan Taylor, then I would be in,” Klatt said.

The need is obvious. J.K. Dobbins is averaging 3.4 yards per carry and hasn’t looked like the back who broke out in Denver last season. Rookie Jonah Coleman and RJ Harvey have shown flashes, but the running game hasn’t scared anyone. The offense ranks near the bottom of the league in yards per game, and defenses have been able to sit back and dare Bo Nix to beat them through the air.

Klatt’s main reason for wanting Taylor had more to do with the quarterback than the running back.

“And Mark, the reason is not just because the foundational principles of running the football. But I truly believe like, the more I watch Bo Nix, the more I believe he’s probably more of a complementary piece, than he is an independent contributor,” Klatt said.

That’s a significant claim. Klatt has defended Nix for much of the season, praising his toughness late in games and arguing that a struggling Nix still gives Denver a better chance than anyone behind him. Here he’s describing what kind of quarterback Nix is and what he needs around him.

He explained the standard he uses.

“So for instance, when I look at a quarterback, one of the like five main skill sets that I think mark a quarterback for greatness and/or just, you know he’s a good player, would be can you win in the passing game independent of a run game. And I think Bo teeters on that,” Klatt said.

The best quarterbacks can win games on straight dropbacks, even when the defense knows a pass is coming. Klatt thinks Nix can do it at times, but not consistently enough to carry an offense without help.

“He kinda can, but boy it’s a lot better when they can be in the RPO game, when they can be on the boot game, when they can be on the run action pass game. All of that, at least for me, is putting Bo in a position to be more successful,” Klatt said.

That ties directly to Nix’s struggles this season. He has been at his best throwing on the move and in rhythm, and Cecil Lammey’s film study this summer found that his accuracy suffers most when he stands still in the pocket. Play-action, bootlegs and RPOs all depend on a defense respecting the run. Right now, defenses don’t have much reason to.

A back like Jonathan Taylor would change that. Linebackers would have to step up to stop him, safeties would have to help in the box and the throwing lanes Nix hasn’t been finding would get wider. It wouldn’t fix everything wrong with the offense, but it would make the job easier for a quarterback who needs it.

The cost in draft picks would be real, and the Colts won’t give Jonathan Taylor away for cheap. Klatt’s argument is that the Broncos aren’t just adding a running back. They’d be building the kind of offense Nix plays best in.