2021 NFL Draft Profiles: Should the Jaguars Add Travis Etienne to Their Backfield?

The 2021 NFL Draft season is upon us and the first wave of free agency is now over. Now, scouts, coaches, and general managers will hit the road as all eyes will turn to the draft.

Among the 32 teams building their rosters to compete for the next Lombardi Trophy is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who hold 10 picks in this season’s draft -- including the No. 1 overall pick. The Jaguars are entering a new era under Head Coach Urban Meyer, and the 2021 draft will serve as a catalyst to the Jaguars’ rebuild moving into the future.

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 this edition, we review Clemson running back Travis Etienne, one of future Jaguars' quarterback Trevor Lawrence's top weapons in college. Does Etienne make sense for the Jaguars early in this year's draft?

Overview

A four-star running back (No. 15 running back recruit) out of high school, Travis Etienne committed to Clemson over Texas A&M and LSU. What would come next would be one of the most accomplished collegiate careers of any running back in recent memory.

Etienne led the team in rushing as a true freshman, carrying the ball 107 times for 766 yards and 13 touchdowns while earning Third-Team All-Conference honors. He took his game to another level when Clemson won the National Championship in 2018, rushing for 1,658 yards and 24 touchdowns and catching another two touchdowns. His 26 touchdowns set a conference record and earned him ACC Player of the Year, First-Team All-American, and First-Team All-Conference.

Etienne repeated as First-Team All-American and All-Conference and as ACC Player of the Year in 2019 when he rushed for 1,614 yards and 19 touchdowns and caught 37 passes for 432 yards and four touchdowns. He then ended his Clemson career with another year in which he led the ACC in rushing and was named to multiple First-Teams, rushing for 914 yards and 14 touchdowns and catching 48 passes for 588 yards and two touchdowns as a senior.

What Travis Etienne Does Well

A stick of dynamite at the running back position, Travis Etienne is a threat to score from anywhere on the field due to his quick feet, natural speed, explosion, change of direction, and feel for navigating open space. He is the definition of an "air back" -- his size (5-foot-10, 215 pounds) makes it hard to envision him as an every-down grinder between the tackles, but he is a true home run threat at the running back position.

Few running backs hit top speed as quickly as Etienne does, but he also has terrific controlled speed. He runs with tempo and is able to throttle down or explode past pursuit angles, and his ability to explore and get to top speed from a still position is uncanny. Put him in space and let him work because he has the athleticism to make second and third-level defenders look silly consistently because he gets downhill instantly and turns on the jets the second he gets a chance to.

Etienne is also a talented back with the ball in his hands in traffic, at least past the line of scrimmage. He is a force to be reckoned with once he gets into space. He can read pursuit angles and make sharp cuts across traffic, while also showing the contact balance to break arm tackles at a consistent basis. He is able to deliver big plays on a consistent basis because he is just so hard to track down in space, a result of his next-level instincts for finding yards downfield.

There was some question about Etienne's value as a receiver before 2020, but he put those to rest the last two seasons with 85 catches for 1,020 yards and six touchdowns. He displayed soft hands and a good understanding of working routes at the second level, especially in 2020 when he caught more passes downfield. He is a weapon out of the backfield, especially on screens and angle routes.

How Travis Etienne Would Fit With the Jaguars

This is fairly self-explanatory. As of right now, the Jaguars have one of the least dynamic running back rooms in the NFL. James Robinson is one of the better rushers in the AFC, but his biggest weakness is his lack of speed and dynamic athleticism as a home run threat. Etienne, however, is the exact opposite.

Etienne doesn't have Robinson's strength, size, or ability to be a workhorse, but he doesn't need to have any of those things to be a fit with the Jaguars. He is simply a different level of athlete and type of big-play threat, especially compared to those on the roster past Robinson (Carlos Hyde, Dare Ogunbowale).

The Jaguars need to leave this offseason with at least one dynamic pass-catching running back added. While Etienne's role in the rushing rotation would probably be tough to figure out, there is no questioning that his dynamic skill set would make the Jaguars a more complete offensive roster.

If the Jaguars were entering this draft looking for a true lead back, then Etienne wouldn't be such a great fit. But they instead are searching for a very defined type of running back, and no running back meets those criteria more than Etienne -- at least not in this draft class.

Verdict

Travis Etienne is one of the toughest questions the Jaguars could face in the draft this year. In terms of what he brings to the team as a pass-catcher, explosive option in the backfield, and as someone with familiarity and chemistry with Trevor Lawrence, there isn't a running back who makes more sense for the Jaguars in this year's draft. With this in mind, the Jaguars aren't the type of team who can afford the luxury of selecting a running back high, especially when they already have a cheap and solid starter on the roster in James Robinson.

I expect for Etienne to be on the Jaguars' radar and truthfully them picking him with any of their three top-50 picks after No. 1 overall wouldn't surprise me. I wouldn't do it due to the holes on the roster and the value of drafting running backs highly, but he is at least a high-ceiling option who would fill some significant needs on the offensive roster.

For all of our 2021 NFL Draft profiles, click below.