2022 NFL Draft Profiles: What Would LSU RB Tyrion Davis-Price Bring To the Jaguars?

What would LSU running back Tyrion Davis-Price add to the Jaguars' offense?

Author:
John Shipley
Publish date:
Apr 19, 2022 3:55 PM EDT

The 2022 NFL Draft season is upon us.

Among the 32 teams building their rosters to compete for the next Lombardi Trophy is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who hold 12 picks in this season’s draft -- including the No. 1 overall pick. The Jaguars are entering a new era after the Urban Meyer tenure, making this draft as pivotal as one could imagine.

As we march closer and closer to April’s draft, we will look at individual draft prospects and how they would potentially fit with the Jaguars. Instead of looking at any negatives, we are going to look at what the players do well and if they could match what the Jaguars need at the specific role or position.

In our next prospect breakdown, we take a look at LSU running back Tyrion Davis-Price and whether he makes sense for the Jaguars on Day 3.

Overview

One of the top running back prospects in the 2019 recruiting cycle, Davis-Price was ranked by 247Sports as a four-star prospect. He was ranked the No. 8 running back in the nation, the No. 7 prospect in Louisiana and the No. 139 player overall.

Davis-Price was a highly sought after recruit, receiving 24 offers before committing to LSU over Florida State, Louisville, Penn State, Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, UAB, and USC.

Davis-Price appeared in 14 games as a true freshman, rushing 64 times for 295 yards (4.6 yards per carry) and six touchdowns, along with 10 catches for 74 yards. He then entered a starting role in 2020 after serving as Clyde Edwards-Helaire's backup on 2019's national title team, starting four games in nine appearances and rushing 104 times for 446 yards (4.3 yards per carry) and three touchdowns, leading the team in rushing. He also caught eight passes for 47 yards.

Davis-Price's junior season saw him start 12 games, rushing 211 times for 1,003 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and six touchdowns, again leading the team in rushing while also catching 10 passes for 64 yards.

Davis-Price measured just over 6-foot-0 at the combine, weighing in at 211 pounds and running the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds (1.53 10-yard split). He improved his 30-inch vertical jump to 35 inches at his pro day, while also recording a 118-inch broad jump, a 4.40 short-shuttle, and a 7.34 three-cone.

What Tyrion Davis-Price Does Well

A true throwback running back, it isn't hard to see what Davis-Price brings to an offense. He isn't an overly shifty back and lacks home-run speed, but he is able to be the battering ram of an offense thanks to his ability to handle a full workload and become more impactful as a game goes along.

Davis-Price does a good job of running with a low pad level and absorbing contact, frequently keeping his balance after first contact and continuing to drive his feet. He has a bit of a rushed and chaotic running style, but it serves him well between the tackles because he is able to explode upfield and power through arm tackles and weaker defenders.

Davis-Price's balance in addition to his core strength make him an effective and powerful running who does a good job of getting extra yardage on each run. He may not pop off a lot of explosive runs, but he does a good job of consistently getting five to six yards and keeping the offense in advantageous situations. For a running back with poor agility numbers, he also shows the ability to keep his speed when making cuts.

As a pass-protector, Davis-Price has the awareness and willingness you want to see from a running back. He also has the strength to stall blitzing linebackers and the quick first steps to shift for moving targets. He didn't get a lot of passes thrown his way, but he did show soft hands out of the backfield as a dump-off option.

How Tyrion Davis-Price Would Fit With the Jaguars

If you are looking for a dynamic running back who can win in a variety of ways and make defenders look silly in space, then Davis-Price likely isn't your guy. But if you need a safe rusher between the tackles who can improve as the game goes on and be trusted as a rotational option, he makes a lot of sense.

The Jaguars are the latter team after a 2021 draft where they took former Clemson running back Travis Etienne to be the sparkplug of their backfield. The Jaguars need added depth at running back, but they have their space back who is going to get volume as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. What they need is a grinder who can pass-protect, especially early in the season as James Robinson still gets back to form.

The Jaguars are in a position where they truly have no reasons to look for a featured back or starting-level rusher in the draft. Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker III are Day 2 options and the Jaguars don't have the roster set up to spend a pick on a running back that early. At the same time, they need to find a running back on Day 3 who can make an impact in the short term as the Jaguars see Robinson and Etienne recover from their 2021 injuries.

The Jaguars are expected to have Etienne, a 2021 first-round pick, to get some offseason work in this year after his Lisfranc injury as a rookie. Meanwhile, Robinson's timeline would put him closer to training camp after a torn Achilles. The Jaguars will have each running back in some fashion in 2022 -- and each has the talent to be a No. 1 back -- but they do need to add to the depth chart after Dare Ogunbowale's contract expired. Davis-Price is a cheap option in the draft who makes sense as a rotational back, especially for what the Jaguars need.

Verdict

The Jaguars need a No. 3 running back they can trust to grind out yards and hold up in pass protection early as a rookie, and Davis-Price can do just that. He isn't an overly shifty or creative back, but he can break tackles and get positive yardage rushing downhill while also not being a liability in blitz pickup. He is a mid-Day 3 option, but he fits what the Jaguars need at the position.

For all of our 2022 NFL Draft profiles, click below.