2021 NFL Draft: Travis Etienne On His Skill Set and Playing With Trevor Lawrence
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a little over a month away from one of—if not the most—important drafts in franchise history. With 11 picks overall and the No. 1 overall pick, the club can boost their roster to contender level. It will require top-notch skill players and versatile depth as the Jaguars look to build consistent production.
One of the few productive aspects of the 2020 roster was rookie running back James Robinson. From undrafted to a finalist for Rookie Of the Year, Robinson took the league by storm. But one man does not a team make.
“We have to add some explosiveness to that room as well and we have to be able to take some of the carries off of James,” stated Jaguars General Manager Trent Baalke on Wednesday.
“You can only ride a horse so long. He’s done a great job, he will continue to do a great job for the organization, and we feel he’ll even take a step forward from where he was a year ago. But adding some competitiveness to that room, we feel we’ve got some guys in house that can compete for roles, but we’re certainly looking to add to that room as well.”
One such option could be Clemson Tigers running back Travis Etienne. He is—to borrow a word from Baalke—explosive. Or, as Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney told ACC Network on Thursday, “every time he touches the ball, you hold your breath.”
Thursday was the Tigers' Pro Day for Etienne and the team's other non-Lawrence prospects. With the NFL Combine and team meetings all being virtual this offseason, the Pro Day is one of the only chances for prospects to work out for teams. During the drills, Etienne ran an unofficial 4.40 in the 40-yard dash.
During drills, the Jaguars and Dolphins reportedly were orchestrating work for Etienne. The Jaguars have a second pick in the first round (No. 25 overall). It’s widely been mocked to be a defender for the club and running backs draft stock has notoriously dropped in the last decade.
Yet, if the Jaguars elected to grab Etienne in the first round to help Robinson—or even just give him considerable looks in the second round—Etienne feels he’ll bring a unique skill set to whichever team grabs one of the drafts top backs.
"I'm one of the best skill guys in the draft. I'm able to do it all. I feel like [I can take] teams to the next tier,” Etienne told reporters after his Pro Day performance.
“I possess a lot of things that are god-given that a lot of guys don't possess. I feel like it's in me.”
Etienne was Clemson’s leading rusher in 2020 with 914 yards and 14 touchdowns...as well as third in receiving for the Tigers with 588 yards and two touchdowns. His 16 total touchdowns was tied for eighth in the country (non-passing TD’s).
It’s that extra ability in the passing game that Etienne believes will set him apart.
"Coming here out of high school from a wing T, I probably had 16 targets my whole career in high school. Coming here, it was really different. Had to really change my whole game.
“I'm able to be out there three downs. Being able to impact the team each and every down is different and makes me worthy of the first round.”
Then of course, there’s the “Trevor” factor. It’s presumed the Jags will take Clemson Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 overall pick. Etienne has spent the past three years playing with Lawrence and even though the running back is the elder prospect, he’s learned a lot from the future franchise quarterback.
"Just Trevor being Trevor. Him being himself helped me be myself. Just the way he carries himself—cool, calm, collected. It trickles down to everybody else. When you see a quarterback have everything under control, he's not in his head space, has a clear mind. It allows everyone else around him to play free."
Whether they’ll play together again remains to be seen. But as the Jacksonville Jaguars prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft and keep an eye out for explosiveness, Travis Etienne will be a prospect to watch.
