3 mid-round running back prospects Jacksonville Jaguars can consider

Should the Jacksonville Jaguars bet on Chuba Hubbard?

As recently as 2019, Chuba Hubbard was one of the top running back prospects in college football, tallying 328 carries for 2,094 yards with 21 trips to the endzone in 13 games. Moreover, he averaged 6.4 per carry.

Alas, the Canada native took a significant step back last season, appearing in seven games and racking up 133 carries for 625 yards and five touchdowns. Although those numbers look solid at first sight, he averaged just 4.7 yards per carry, 1.7 yards less than he did the season before.

Also, Hubbard struggled with fumbles during his collegiate career at Oklahoma State. While this issue can be corrected with adequate coaching, it’s not a given he will. Then, there’s the fact Hubbard may be too light to make the transition to the pros, so even though his weight wasn’t an issue in college, he might not be able to withstand a heavy workload in the NFL.

On the other hand, Hubbard has shown the ability to make big gains on the ground, amassing the third-most yards after contact in college football over the last two seasons (1,632), per Pro Football Focus and the third most career 50 plus-yard carries in 2021’s running back draft class (seven).

Hubbard may not be able to be a workhorse back in the NFL, but his ability to generate big plays on the running game shouldn’t be taken lightly and may be worth a mid-round pick in this year’s selection meeting. The Jags would need to help him fix his fumbling issues and monitor his workload, but he could end up becoming a solid contributor if they deploy him correctly.