Jaguars RB Bhayshul Tuten: No. 11 Spot Goes to Second-Year Breakout Candidate

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Bhayshul Tuten certainly helped the Jacksonville Jaguars quite a bit as a rookie a year ago, but the expectations are clearly much higher in 2026.

That is exactly why Tuten, entering his second season after being selected with a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, takes the No. 11 spot in our rankings of the 25-most important Jaguars for the 2026 season.

With Tuten primed for a bigger role in terms of both scale and importance in his sophomore season, here is why he takes the lastest spot in our top-25.

Why Bhayshul Tuten is So Important

The departure of Travis Etienne in free agency is certainly a looming one for the Jaguars. While he may not have been very efficient last season, he still touched the ball more than 3x the amount that Tuten did, with the Jaguars leaning on Etienne as their primary workhorse over the course of the season. With Etienne now on the New Orleans Saints' roster, the Jaguars have close to 300 touches they have to replace, and Tuten is set to be a big part of that goal.

The Jaguars did sign veteran free agent Chris Rodriguez Jr. who will do his own fair share of replacing Etienne's touches in the Jaguars' running game, but Tuten has more of a three-down skill-set that is closer to what Etienne did a year ago. While the Jaguars also have LeQuint Allen to factor into that role, Tuten should be able to contribute more on passing downs and in the screen game than Rodriguez will.

With the Jaguars potentially leaning more in 12 and 13 personnel looks, a running back who can take advantage as a pass-catcher on play-action looks could be seriously dangerous. Allen would likely not be on the field in this scenario since he could tip the defense to a pass, while Tuten is the better option in this role than Rodriguez.

Bhayshul Tuten's Strengths and Weaknesses

bhayshul tuten touchdown — Nov 30, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) celebrates his touchdown against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

When it comes to the traits that the Jaguars' staff has identified as the most important at the running back position (yards after contract, creating on your own) Tuten has some ups and some downs. The ups involve his ability to break tackles with power, something that showed up last year when he became the Jaguars' short-yardage back over the course of the season.

According to Next Gen Stats, through Week 13 last year Tuten had recorded a 35.8% forced missed tackle rate across his 67 carries, the 2nd-highest among rookie running backs with at least 30 rushing attempts. He had also gained the 8th-most yards after missed tackles (93) and totaled the 9th-most yards after contact (252) among the same group.

With that in mind, there are still areas Tuten has to improve. His balance was an issue at times last year, leading him to struggle to consistently generate explosive runs despite his ability to force missed tackles. Playing more in control in 2026 is a must for Tuten if he looks to hit the potential that his power and speed have equipped him with.

What Happens if the Jaguars Need to Replace Bhayshul Tuten

To the Jaguars credit, they have certainly invested resources into the running back position They took Tuten with their first Day 3 pick last year, added another Day 3 pick in Allen, and then signed Rodriguez as their only free agent addition in March. Add in undrafted free agent J'Mari Taylor and the Jaguars have several running backs they like.

With that in mind, any event in which they lose Tuten due to injury would likely means a massive bulk of the running game would be put onto Rodriguez -- a role he has never been utilized in through his NFL career. It could also mean more snaps and touches for Allen, who was used more as a pass-blocker last year than anything else.

The Jaguars have a talented room, but Tuten is the one player in it who can provide a little bit of everything. He has the power and interior running ability that Allen lacks, while having the passing game upside that Rodriguez is not exactly close to. Losing Tuten for any time would be a blow.

Why We Ranked Bhayshul Tuten Here

Tuten comes in a few spots over Rodriguez in our rankings, and it is because of his three-down skill-set. While Rodriguez is a gifted runner and could easily turn the backfield into a timeshare, Tuten has the rarer skill-set and the one that very easily could be more important to the Jaguars winning games in 2026.

Add us as a preferred source on Google