3 Jaguars that could have a diminished role in 2021

1. James Robinson, running back, Jacksonville Jaguars.

James Robinson was arguably the best player on the Jaguars’ roster last year. The Illinois product was highly productive and established himself as one of the best running back in the NFL despite the fact that opposing defenses loaded the box against him. He also joined the NFL’s record book when he totaled the most scrimmage yards by an undrafted rookie in league history.

Even though the Jags have a workhorse in Robinson, they used the 25th overall pick in this year’s draft on Travis Etienne. The Clemson product will ease some of the workload from the sophomore and will also play an important role in the passing game in 2021.

Robinson will still be the Jaguars’ lead back in 2021 but Etienne will get a fair share of carries. Last year, the former Redbird had 86 percent of Jacksonville’s total carries, the highest figure in the league. Although there’s a good chance he will still get over 200 carries and reach the 1,000-yard mark once again, the Jaguars could gradually move away from Robinson increase Etienne’s load if they see he’s making more big plays.

After all, the former Tiger was a first-round selection while Robinson was an undrafted free agent. The former entered the league with a better pedigree and could end up being the most talented of the two. This doesn’t mean that Robinson will just hand off the starting job. Simply, Etienne may have a bigger ceiling and could end up having a bigger role on the Jaguars’ offense by the end of the season.