Jacksonville's backfield will be one of the most interesting to watch through summer. SI.com Jaguars beat writer weighed in (mildly) this week by positing, "My guess is Travis Etienne is the lead running back." That came as part of a full 53-man roster projection, and he followed that with "but all four get some run at some point." The other three: Tank Bigsby, fourth-round rookie Bhayshul Tuten, and seventh-round rookie LeQuint Allen. The standing seems particularly noteworthy for Etienne because he's been a subject of recent trade rumors.
HC Liam Coen, asked what he has seen in Etienne: "He's done everything we've asked him to do, and more. ... He's done a great job. I don't, I don't really understand some of the stuff I've kind of seen out there that's, that's absolutely inaccurate."
Obviously, a new coach could simply be covering for the behind-the-scenes trade talks. So we'll see what happens. But it also would make sense if Coen just actually likes having Etienne on the roster.
This is a RB who motivated Jacksonville to draft him in Round 1 and for whom the team picked up the fifth-year option (this season).
Etienne got outperformed by Tank Bigsby across rushing efficiency metrics last season. But all of 2024 also occurred within a bad offense under a coaching staff that got replaced.
It's entirely possible that Etienne leads Jacksonville in touches this season -- and that the offense proves significantly better than last year's. Coen piloted the 2024 Bucs offense that jumped to seventh in DVOA from 20th the year before.
We're not huge on the 2025 outlook for Etienne -- who could yet find himself traded this offseason -- but he's at least worth mixing into your best ball drafting right now.
Bhayshul Tuten had climbed ahead of Etienne in Best Ball ADP but has more recently slipped behind him.
We're big fans of Tuten around here, but it's important to remember that Jacksonville drafted him in Round 4. That doesn't tell us anything about his expected role.
We'll be watching all three Jacksonville RBs through the summer and adjusting their projections as needed.
As of now, Etienne sits 35th among RBs in Underdog Fantasy ADP (half-PPR). Among others, that puts him behind the top two RBs for the Giants, Vikings, and Steelers.
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