Playing in the NFL is the ultimate goal for almost every college football player and the path to the pros is different for every one. Arizona running back JJ Taylor is hopeful he can make it in the league as an undrafted free agent signee after he inked a deal with the New England Patriots shortly after the NFL Draft this spring.

Taylor, who decided to forgo one last season with the Wildcats in favor of fulfilling his NFL dreams, has had ups and downs during training camp with the Patriots but this week has been productive for the versatile back from California.

Taylor is being used all over the field by the Patriots, including as a return man, but his best highlight of the week came on a pass from New England quarterback Jared Stidham in the back of the end zone that featured Taylor leaping up to grab the pass in some traffic (video below).

The play garnered some praise from NFL Network's Michael Giardi who noted the play after Wednesday's practice. ESPNBoston's Mike Reiss also was impressed by what Taylor showed on the catch.

Taylor was not used a ton in the passing game during his time at Arizona as the Wildcats mostly relied on him to run the ball, which he did quite effectively, but he did show plenty of versatility during his time with the Wildcats as an all-purpose back. He led the Pac-12 in all-purpose yards in the 2018 season with over 2,000 yards as a runner, receiver and returner.

During his career with the Wildcats Taylor ran for over 3,200 yards and 18 touchdowns to go with 487 yards and two more scores as a receiver. He also had one return for a touchdown during his time in Tucson.

The California native, who is listed at 5-foot-6 and 185 pounds by the Patriots, is working to make the roster in a difficult year for undrafted free agents with camp roster numbers being impacted by changes made because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Taylor signed a three-year contract with the franchise this spring worth a guaranteed amount of $100,000 plus a $7,500 signing bonus.

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