AFC South RB rankings: Where does Travis Etienne land?
![Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne (1) and Trevor Lawrence (16). [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]Jki 081421 Jagsvsbrowns 52](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Fhttps-3A-2F-2Fblackandteal-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fimagn-images-2F2018-2F08-2F17488573-850x560-6094e728ab121b1dccb530721fc9e0b09b0edbe48c6c44bb4d3c273cfec3f973.jpg "Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne (1) and Trevor Lawrence (16). [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]Jki 081421 Jagsvsbrowns 52")
Running backs are no longer the focal point of NFL offenses but still play an essential role and the AFC South is home to some of the most best ones in the league.
In particular, the Jacksonville Jaguars have a promising young running back in Travis Etienne, who is coming off a season-ending injury but is expected to have a big year in 2022.
But where does Etienne rank among his peers ahead of training camp? Here’s a ranking of the top running backs in the AFC South, one for each team, ahead of training camp.
No. 4 running back in the AFC South: Marlon Mack, Houston Texans
player. 10. . . . Marlon Mack. 4
The Houston Texans poached Dare Ogunbowale from the Jaguars in free agency and took Florida’s Dameon Pierce in this year’s draft. However, Marlon Mack will probably be their starting running in Week 1.
Just like Ogunbowale, Mack joined the Texans in free agency. A fourth-round pick in the 2017 draft by the Indianapolis Colts, Mack showed promise early in his NFL career. Unfortunately, injuries and ineffectiveness have limited him to seven games over the last two seasons.
Mack had a productive campaign in 2018, racking up 195 carries for 908 years with nine touchdowns. The following year, he had 1,091 yards and eight touchdowns on 247 carries. But the former South Florida Bull tore his Achilles in 2020 and lost his job to Jonathan Taylor.
The Colts re-signed Mack last year but he was a healthy scratch for a good chunk of the season. He’s shown signs of his pre-injury bust in the offseason, according to Texans running back Danny Barret. But if he falters in training camp or early in the 2022 season, he could lose carries to Pierce or veteran Rex Burkhead, who landed in Houston last offseason.