Packers RB Patrick Taylor, Jr. begins practicing, no longer on PUP list

For the first time in his NFL career, Patrick Taylor, Jr. has gone through a training camp practice.

After completing his college football career at the University of Memphis, Taylor went undrafted in 2020 and signed with the Green Bay Packers as a free agent. However, Taylor spent his entire rookie campaign on the Non-Football Injury list due to an injury he suffered during his senior year. As a result, he did not participate at all in last year’s training camp.

Taylor then started the 2021 camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list, keeping him on the shelf for the Packers’ first four days of practice. But on Monday, Taylor was on the field and participating, indicating that he has been cleared by the Packers’ medical staff and has been activated off PUP.

The Packers’ top two on the running back depth chart are set in stone, as Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon are set to be the team’s 1-2 punch. However, roster spots behind those two should be subject to an intense competition, as Taylor, Dexter Williams, and rookie 7th-round pick Kylin Hill will all receive significant reps this August. Taylor missed out on some opportunities in the first week of practice while Hill and Williams each made some impressive plays through the first few days.

The 6-foot-2, 217-pound Taylor offers a large frame as a runner and a target out of the backfield, and his size has led to physical comparisons to former Packer James Starks. Even if he does not make the opening week 53-man roster, look for Taylor to be under consideration for a spot on the Packers’ practice squad, which could well lead to regular season reps for him in 2021.