5 Jaguars who must hit the ground running at 2022 OTAs

No. 2 Jaguars player who must shine at OTAs – Ryquell Armstead, RB.

With sophomore Travis Etienne poised to make his NFL debut in 2022, the Jaguars could have one of the most dynamic running back tandems once James Robinson makes a full recovery from a torn Achilles he suffered later in 2021.

Etienne is also coming back from a lesion he suffered last preseason but he should be 100 percent for training camp. While Robinson recovers, the Jags will have to lean on either rookie Snoop Conner or Ryquell Armstead. Conner might have a slight edge because he’s younger and doesn’t have much tread on the tires, having been part of a running back committee at Ole Miss. On the other hand, Armstead has a realistic shot to earn playing time and be the team’s primary backup early in the 2022 season.

A fifth-round pick out of Temple in 2019, Armstead appeared in every single game in his rookie campaign but was limited to just 35 carries for 108 years. He then got COVID-19 in 2020 and it got so bad that he had to sit out the whole year. He then spent 2021 with several teams before finally returning to the Jaguars. He ended up appearing in two games and showed he was fully healthy, toting the rock 15 times for 80 yards and an average of 5.3 yards per carry.

Just like Conner, Armstead is heading into the 2022 season with fresh legs, so he will have to show that he’s the better option of the two.