5 Jacksonville Jaguars with most to gain from a positive 2022 draft

3. Jacksonville Jaguars running back coach Bernie Parmalee.

Doug Pederson could have easily landed on this spot but running backs coach Bernie Parmalee feels more deserving. After all, he’s one of the few position coaches that were part of the previous regime that wasn’t shown the door.

Last year, Parmalee was supposed to work with rookie Travis Etienne and James Robinson but the former suffered a Lisfranc injury in the preseason and missed the 2021 campaign. Nevertheless, he didn’t blink and turned Robinson into a top 10 running back early in the season. Had it not been for injuries and Urban Meyer’s puzzling decision to bench him, Robinson would have been among the rushing leaders at the end of the year, and Parmalee deserves credit for that.

This year, Robinson might not be available for the beginning of the season, so it will be up to Parmalee to help Etienne pick up where he left off last year. However, the Jaguars’ brass can’t go overboard with the former Clemson Tiger, especially when you take into account that he’s coming off a serious injury. That’s why they need to draft another running back. General manager Trent Baalke told the media there will be plenty of good ones in the middle rounds and coincidentally, they hold two selections in the third and one in the fourth. They should be able to land one to pair with Etienne.

Before injuries struck, the Jaguars’ running back room had the potential to be a strength. Parmalee’s unit should be even better in 2022 if they use a mid-round pick on a running back.