Ranking Jaguars offensive groups entering Week 1 of 2022 season

No. 3 Jaguars offensive group entering Week 1: Running backs

The Jaguars’ running backs could turn out to be their biggest X-Factor in 2022 for a couple of reasons. James Robinson will suit up for the Commanders game. This is an impressive feat when you consider that he tore his Achilles last December. On the other hand, he might not be 100 percent yet, so the coaching staff will probably limit his workload in the season opener.

Once the Jags see how Robinson responds to getting hit, they will calibrate the number of carries he gets in a game. Also, it’s worth noting that Travis Etienne will be starting against Washington. The former Clemson Tiger also suffered a serious injury last year but his was in the preseason, so he had way more time to recover. In fact, he was good to go in training camp and had no setbacks.

Keep in mind that Etienne will be making his NFL debut in Week 1, so even though he’s shown flashes of the playmaker he was in college, it’s hard to truly assess the kind of impact he will have in the Jags’ backfield. To make matters worse, he will be facing off against Washinton’s defensive line, which won’t leave many running lanes open.

Behind Etienne and Robinson is rookie Snoop Conner, who won’t get more than a handful of carries per game barring injury. No. 4 in the depth chart is JaMycal Hasty, who beat Ryquell Armstead and Mekhi Sargent for a roster spot.