The Jacksonville Jaguars still have a lot of needs heading into the draft despite all the money they spent in free agency. But one that’s not being talked about enough may be the need at running back.
Sure, they have a first-round selection in Travis Etienne and star running back James Robinson, but both will be coming off season-ending Lisfranc and Achilles injuries, respectively. Etienne is on track to return sooner than Robinson, but it still would be wise to bolster the depth behind both after their respective situations.
The team lost one of its most experienced backup running backs, Dare Ogunbowale, in free agency who also helped out on special teams. That said, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Jags add a player with similar abilities who can help them offensively and possibly as a specialist.
One way they could go about it is to select a running back at some point in the upcoming draft. And according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper, the third round and later would be a great place to address the position as there are several running back prospects to choose from who could end up being solid contributors.
In a recent conference call, Jags Wire asked Kiper about some notable names at the running back position who the Jags could select during the second half of Day 2 or on Day 3, and he had a pretty long list of options.
“The sweet spot for running backs for me is always around the third. Talk about [prospects like] Elijah Mitchell last year, a sixth-rounder out of Louisiana-Lafayette to the 49ers, so you’re always going to find those gems at running back.”
Isaiah Spiller of Texas A&M runs hard. He was rated a little bit higher but slipped a bit. He could get into the later rounds, looks like four to seven [round range]. Kyren Williams of Notre Dame, who I’ve touched on, he falls in that category. Dameon Pierce, a hard-charging runner out of Florida. Pierre Strong Jr., from South Dakota State, based on production and the way he ran and tested. He could be in that fourth-round mix very easily.”
Spiller played in the toughest conference in football and still managed to garner 179 carries for 1,011 yards and six touchdowns, but as Kiper said, his stock may slip a bit, and it could be due to him turning in a 40-time of 4.63, which is a little slower than expected.
40 times at Texas A&M’s Pro Day per the scouts:
DeMarvin Leal – 5.04
Leon O'Neal – 4.70
Isaiah Spiller – 4.63
Kenyon Green – 5.25
Jalen Wydermyer – 5.03— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) March 22, 2022
Round 3 would certainly be too soon for the Jags to take Spiller (or any running back projected in that range aside from maybe James Cook), but if he falls to Round 4, they would have a lot to think about.
As for Kyren Williams, Dameon Pierce, and Pierre Strong Jr., they would be worth considering in Rounds 4-5. Pierce could give them a similar presence to Robinson with his powerful style, while Strong and Williams could catch Doug Pederson’s eyes for their receiving abilities in addition to their abilities as rushers.
Kiper continued with a few other names to watch in addition to Williams Pierce, Spiller, and Strong.
“Jerome Ford from Cincinnati is another one,” Kiper added. “Very athletic kid who has great hands catching the ball down the field. Then there is Rachaad White at Arizona State. Tyler Badie at Missouri is another one who could be in that mix. Ty Chandler, formerly of Tennessee, had the one year at North Carolina [this past] year, I highlighted him as an underrated player. Tyler Goodson of Iowa is another one. It goes on and there is a lot of good running backs who fall into that Day 3 area that certainly could be a guy you can hit the jackpot with. All of these guys won’t, but you can rest assured one, two, or maybe three of the guys I mentioned will turn out to be productive players in the NFL.”
Kiper is right, the Jags could find a Day 3 pick at the position who could help them in a big way if they wanted. After all, Robinson himself went undrafted and has garnered 1,837 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns for the team.