The Jacksonville Jaguars’ first pick of April’s draft was a no-brainer as the team took quarterback Trevor Lawrence to lead their franchise. However, they somewhat shocked fans by selecting Lawrence’s teammate in running back Travis Etienne afterward with pick No. 25
.
While Etienne is undoubtedly talented, the reason many scratched their heads upon his selection is that the team already has James Robinson, which could cause a problem in terms of distribution between the two. For this reason, NFL Network’s Cynthia Frelund has projected Etienne to be the fourth-most productive running back of the 2020 draft class under Najee Harris, Javonte Williams, and Trey Sermon.
Last season, the Jaguars ranked 15th in expected yards per rush (4.3), meaning their offensive line was about average on rushing downs. They took the fewest rushing attempts (337) and netted the fewest rushing TDs in the league (nine). It’s still unclear how/when Etienne and James Robinson will be used, which isn’t great for fantasy. But Etienne’s familiarity with Clemson teammate Trevor Lawrence sure doesn’t hurt his prospects, especially as a weapon in the passing game. PFF counts Etienne as forcing 187 missed tackles over the past three seasons (most in the FBS). Etienne doesn’t rate higher in overall median forecasting because it’s crowded in Jacksonville’s backfield, not because his explosive talent doesn’t warrant it. — Cynthia Frelund, NFL.com
The good news for Etienne is that the Jags have openly said they want to use him in a slash role. With that being the case, they brought him in for more explosive plays and seem to have plans for him to be utilized as a receiver occasionally. As a running back, he could be a third-down rusher.
If these plans come to fruition for the Jags, Robinson’s stats shouldn’t be significantly reduced. At the same time, he should benefit from Etienne’s addition after having to miss the Jags’ last two games in 2020 (ankle injury) as he had the league’s highest carry percentage.