Jaguars Have 28th Ranked Backfield, According to Marc Sessler of NFL.com

Historically, the Jacksonville Jaguars have had one of the strongest running games in the entire league. Fred Taylor had a borderline dominant run in the 2000s despite a few injuries, and his successor, Maurice Jones-Drew, was by far the most nationally praised Jaguars player in the last decade.

The 2014 season was a completely different story, as the Jaguars had one of the least effective backfields in the NFL. Toby Gerhart ended up having a disappointing, injury-riddled year after signing as a free agent to replace MJD, and 2nd year converted quarterback Denard Robinson was the team’s best option to tote the ball.

The Jaguars looked to upgrade their backfield this offseason, and they ultimately settled on T.J. Yeldon out of Alabama in the 2nd round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Still, a rookie isn’t going to change how people feel about the Jacksonville backfield, and that’s reflected in Marc Sessler’s rankings over at NFL.com:

"28. Jaguars: T.J. Yeldon, Denard Robinson, Storm Johnson, Bernard Pierce, Toby Gerhart» “T.J. Yeldon’s going to be a big player for the Jaguars,” said Jeremiah. “This will let Denard Robinson be the eight-to-twelve touch guy, which I think is going to give him some longevity and let Yeldon do the heavy lifting.”"

The Jaguars do have an intriguing group of guys now at their disposal, but it all really hinges on Yeldon. Gerhart looks like a nice fit in his new role as a fullback/h-back, while Robinson should thrive with a lesser workload. Yeldon is expected to be the primary guy in the backfield, and he needs to stay healthy and produce on early downs.

In all, the Jaguars are at about the right spot at 28 right now. There’s just too many unknowns to have more confidence in what is a promising but young group of ball carriers.

Next: Jaguars QBs 2nd Worst Ever

More from Black and Teal

Home/Jacksonville Jaguars News