Will T.J. Yeldon be overlooked by new rookie running backs?
By Luke Sims
T.J. Yeldon was the third running back taken off the board in 2015 and had a decent rookie season, but the new 2016 running backs may make him look irrelevant after posting impressive numbers at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Don’t overlook T.J. Yeldon, even with the flashy running backs posting quick numbers at the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine. With a year of experience under his belt and a firm position in what promises to be one of the NFL’s best young offenses, Yeldon is poised to strike out and dominate in 2016.
Mark Inabinett at AL.com recently said that for Yeldon, the sky is the limit. As players like Ezekial Elliott get all of the attention this weekend with quick 40-yard dash times, it’s worth looking again at the, relatively, older model that the Jacksonville Jaguars will trot out again for 2016.
Yeldon was poised to have close to 1000 yards in his rookie season and help turn the Jags’ rushing attack around after an abysmal few years. Injury held him short, unfortunately, and he’ll have to try again for next year. That promising rookie season shouldn’t be overlooked, though. There were few other running backs better than Yeldon last season and only one other rookie.
Poised for another big year in 2016, Yeldon’s time back in the limelight will come again. He’ll work his way through the offseason, honing his skills in the modest manner he has since his time at Alabama. That quiet determination and work ethic will serve him much better than a fast 40-yard dash at the NFL level. Yeldon is becoming a true professional and attacking the game like one.
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Hopefully the Jags will be able to find some better running backs to pair Yeldon with after a disastrous 2015 that saw no other running back capable of filling in when Yeldon went down with injury. Denard Robinson leads a group that includes Jonas Grey, Toby Gerhart, and a handful of others with less defined roles. The Jags will have to sift through the position to find the valuable pieces to move forward with in 2016 and beyond.
Either way, all eyes will be back on Yeldon when he starts carrying the load for the Jags once again.