Jacksonville Jaguars must reload their RB room in 2023 offseason

The consensus seems to agree that cornerback is the Jacksonville Jaguars’ biggest need this offseason. Tight end could also be at the top of their priority list if Evan Engram leaves in free agency. On the other hand, running back isn’t often brought up as a need despite the fact that they could use upgrades at the position.

Travis Etienne missed his rookie season with a Lisfranc injury but became a highly productive player for the Jags last year, racking up 220 carries for 1,125 yards with five touchdowns. However, the depth behind him is suspect and the team’s brass should consider adding another running back in the offseason. Despite the fact that James Robinson was traded to the New York Jets after Week 7, his 340 rushing yards still ranked second on the team.

JaMycal Hasty was next with 46 carries for 194 yards with two touchdowns. He was claimed off of waivers before the start of the season and fared well in a complementary role. Meanwhile, rookie Snoop Conner hardly saw the field until Robinson was traded. He ended up appearing in eight games and tallying 12 carries for 86 yards with one touchdown.

Hasty is a restricted free agent but the Jags could easily bring him back on a one-year tender. He will probably compete with Connor for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart if he returns but the team’s brass should also consider adding another running back in the offseason.

The Jacksonville Jaguars need to add competition to the running back

The Jaguars will have a limited spending budget in free agency, so they won’t be able to go after marquee players such as Josh Jacobs, Miles Sanders, or Saquon Barkley. Then again, the Jags already have a No. 1 running back in Travis Etienne, so it wouldn’t make sense to target any of them or make a heavy investment in the positions. Instead, they should consider adding a running back prospect in the middle or late rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Nowadays, teams can’t wait until the later rounds in the draft to take a running back. While they can always find playmakers in the first round (e.g. Etienne in 2021), they can find good running backs in later rounds. One example is Isiah Pacheco, the Kansas City Chiefs’ seventh-round pick in last year’s draft. The Rutgers product had 170 carries for 830 yards with five touchdowns and become an integral piece of their offense in their playoff run.

This isn’t to say that every seventh-round pick will turn out to be a quality starter. The point is that NFL clubs can find a capable running back in the later rounds of the draft and the Jaguars should consider using a fourth or even third-round pick on the position given how stacked this year’s class is.

The Jacksonville Jaguars need to reload their roster in the offseason. Although running back isn’t a pressing need, that doesn’t mean the team’s brass should overlook the position.