A subplot in the Jacksonville Jaguars running back room in the preseason is who gets the fifth spot behind Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez, LeQuint Allen Jr. and Ameer Abdullah.
After the Jags' 24-20 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Aug. 15 at the Caesars Superdome, the first of three preseason games, the advantage goes to undrafted rookie free agent J'Mari Taylor.
Taylor's hard running and nose for the end zone led a second-half comeback from a 20-6 halftime deficit. Taylor, who was third in the ACC in rushing for Virginia last season with 1,062 yards, gained 78 yards on 22 carries and sparked a TD drive to open the third with four carries for 32 yards.
He followed Carter Bradley's 1-yard TD pass to tight end Hunter Long by barging in for
a two-point conversion, then capped a fourth-quarter scoring drive with a 2-yard TD run with 5:00 left in the game, putting the Jags ahead for good.
Taylor gained the most yards in a Jaguars preseason game since Sept. 3, 2015, when Corey Grant had 74 yards in a 17-16 victory over the Washington Commanders.
Taylor's main competiton for a roster spot are two veterans, Abdullah and DeeJay Dallas of Brunswick. Abdullah, a 12-year veteran, may still win the fourth spot based on experience, leaving Taylor and Dallas (who contributes on special teams) competing for a practice squad spot.
Abdullah was one of the many veterans the Jaguars chose to rest vs. the Saints.
Dallas had 10 carries for 26 yards and caught one pass for 6 yards. Taylor wasn't targeted in the passing game.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars rookie RB J'Mari Taylor leads second-half comeback vs. Saints
