After a controversial draft cycle that still has people talking, the Jacksonville Jaguars are heading into the 2026 campaign with a lightly retooled running back room. However, some analysts feel like the Jags didn't do enough to replace Travis Etienne's production and give Liam Coen the workhorse he needs to dominate the AFC South.
On his list of the biggest post-draft needs across the league, Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus opined that LeQuint Allen and Bhayshul Tuten didn't do enough to prove themselves as starters during their rookie seasons. While Chris Rodriguez, Jacksonville's free agency signing from Washington, has more snaps under his belt, his stats don't depict the resume of a budding star either.
The lack of oomph amongst the highest backs on the depth chart leads Locker to believe that the Jaguars will be using a running back-by-committee approach to get the job done in 2026. While he meant to portray that as a weakness heading into the franchise's offseason workouts, I'd argue that relying on each runner to fulfill a specific role is the best plan Coen could think of.
Liam Coen has the playbook and creativity to turn a perceived weakness into a major strength
While most of the attention will be on Bhayshul Tuten once the regular season starts, Lequint Allen's unique skill set highlights why the Jags can be a bit experimental with their RB rotation.
As a rookie, Allen was a fearless pass blocker who was willing to mix it up with some of the best defensive linemen in the NFL. Against the Tennessee Titans, the former seventh-round pick got in Jeffery Simmons' face and let the former All-Pro defender know that he wouldn't be pushed around. When he wasn't going toe-to-toe with heavyweights way outside his weight class, the Syracuse alum was flying down the field on special teams and making kick returners account for where he was.
Tuten's specialized repertoire gives Coen and Grant Udinski a running back to rely on during third-and-longs and other obvious passing situations. If Trevor Lawrence knows that he'll always have an extra second to get the ball down the field, the sixth-year QB will make somebody's highlight reel more often than not. In the uber-competitive AFC, that could give Jacksonville an edge that'll matter during the playoff push.
So, that leaves Tuten and Chris Rodriguez as the guys who will carry the majority of the load in the traditional running game and short-yardage scenarios. Tuten showed signs of greatness during the scarce opportunities he got the ball last year, and his brief performances were flashy enough to generate a bit of hype for the former Hokie heading into Year 2. His place at the top of the depth chart is a lock heading into OTAs and training camp, so we should expect him to have at least 15 to 18 touches a game and develop into one of the offense's key pieces.
Rodriguez' projection is a bit tricky, as he was a free agent signing from outside the building and has a positive history with his former OC at Kentucky. Coen's connection with the former Commander hints that he could have big plans for the veteran bruiser. If so, he could be the starter during weeks where the Jags need to set the tone early and establish their physicality (obviously, the annual game at Tennessee would the best chance to execute this strategy).
So, is it a waste of time to be concerned about the state of the running back room?
In a sense, yes.
While Travis Etienne had multiple 1000-yard seasons as the Jaguars' leading rusher, the franchise hasn't had a dominant All-Pro level performer in the backfield since Maurice Jones-Drew. Dave Caldwell and Trent Baalke took swings in the first round to find MJD's heir to the throne, but neither Etienne nor Leonard Fournette could establish themselves as one of the best backs in pro football.
If we're being honest, having two good backs and a reliable third-down specialist is better than betting the farm on one guy and hoping he's elite. Injuries, the speed of the NFL game, and various other factors can prevent highly-touted prospects from developing to their full potential.
With the current layout, Coen only needs Tuten and Rodriguez to cobble together 1,600 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns between the two of them. It's also likely that Allen contributes his own 300 or so yards on the ground while giving the other two a break every once in a while.
If the bare minimum outlined above plays out, that would help the Jags rack up 1,900 total rushing yards as a unit. That would only be 56 yards less than what they gained last year and 88 yards short of what Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles compiled in 2025. So, that wouldn't be the end of the world, if you ask me.
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