The Houston Texans have gotten production out of their rushing new duo of Carlos Hyde and Duke Johnson. Both in their first years in Houston, Hyde has run for 853 yards and four touchdowns on 4.6 yards per attempt. Johnson has acted as a complementary back, tallying 679 scrimmage yards and four total touchdowns on 6.5 yards per touch.
Based on production alone, the Texans should be happy with their running back position.
However, Hyde is a free agent at the end of the season. Though a revelation for the Texans’ offense, signing the 29-year-old to a new deal could make the Bill O’Brien-led front office pause. Johnson is under contract, but he has yet to play a lead-back role in the NFL.
Queue the 2020 NFL Draft. Specifically, queue Jonathan Taylor and J.K. Dobbins.
On Saturday, Taylor and Dobbins will meet each other for the second time of the 2019 college football season, in a matchup between Taylor’s No. 8-ranked Wisconsin Badgers and Dobbins’ No. 1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. The game: the Big 10 Championship.
The Texans should have their eyes peeled for multiple reasons — each team boasts an array of prospects. However, they should key-in on both Taylor and Dobbins, as each is draft eligible. If Houston is looking for a running back, either of the two will suit their needs with their second-round pick; if, of course, they slip to the second.
Let’s take a gander at each.
Jonathan Taylor – Wisconsin

Taylor finished his sophomore season as the Doak Walker Award (best running back in the country) winner and a First Team All-American. He recorded 2,194 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on 7.1 yards per carry in 2018.
The Badger has built upon that impressive sophomore year. In 12 games, he has 1,791 yards and 20 touchdowns on 6.3 yards per carry. Taylor’s 5,932 rushing yards is the most all-time for a running back through their junior year — he still has two games to play.
Taylor is built to play running back at the next level. The 20-year-old measures in at 5-11, 219-pounds. From a film standpoint, he’s powerful, fast and agile. His patience and vision behind the line of scrimmage take advantage of an impressive group of blockers in front of him.
In many aspects, Taylor is similar to Hyde. He is not a pass-catcher. However, he will get a running game going, no matter if he plays in a zone or power scheme. If the Texans need a bell-cow back to bludgeon defenses and develop the shot-play play-action, Taylor is their guy.
J.K. Dobbins – Ohio State

Dobbins, a Houston (La Grange) native, does not have the all-time records that Taylor boasts, but he’s close. The 20-year-old junior broke Ohio State’s freshman rushing record in 2017 by recording 1,403 yards and seven touchdowns on 7.2 yards per attempt.
Since his freshman season, Dobbins has acted as a star in a star-studded Buckeyes offense.
As impressive as his freshman season was, Dobbins is blowing his prior stats out of the water in 2019. As a rusher, he has 1,657 yards and 19 touchdowns on 6.6 yards per attempt. In doing so, he, like Taylor, is a Heisman Trophy candidate.
Dobbins measures in at 5-10, 217-pounds. He doesn’t spawn many complaints as a rusher, as he’s an electric athlete who runs behind his pads with full-force. It helps that he has the vision, rapid feet and patience to read a block. Where Dobbins has Taylor’s number, however, is his pass-catching prowess. He can run routes and catch.
The Buckeye is an NFL-calibre running back. While he perhaps isn’t the most agile tailback, Dobbins will make a difference at the next level.