Jaguars RBs earn low spot in power ranking despite strong finish to 2024 preseason

The Jacksonville Jaguars had trouble establishing the run in 2023 and vowed to fix the issue in the offseason. The main culprit for the team's inability to pound the ball was the offensive line, so the front office made a handful of moves up front. The early results are promising but Marcus Mosher of the 33rd Team isn't overly impressed.

Mosher ranked all 32 NFL running back rooms and placed Jacksonville at No. 15, pointing out that Travis Etienne averaged just 3.8 yards in 2023 and Tank Bigsby must step in Year 2.

"Travis Etienne has posted back-to-back 1,400-yard seasons for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but his yards per carry dropped to 3.8 last season. Tank Bigsby must have a bigger role in Year 2 for this unit to rise up the rankings."

Both of Mosher's statements are correct but are missing context. While it's true that Etienne's yard-per-carry average in 2023 wasn't impressive, he often had nowhere to run, with defenders already waiting for him before he had even crossed the line of scrimmage!

Last year, 25.0 percent of the Jaguars' runs were for no gain or resulted in negative yardage. That was the highest mark in the league, and Etienne wasn't at fault.

That was the result of the offensive line not being able to open holes for the former Clemson Tiger. On this chart, via Daniel Griffis of Sports Illustrated, you can see that running inside was particularly a challenge last season.

The interior offensive line much better in pass protection, with center Luke Fortner ranking 31st in the league in win rate. To remedy the issue, the front office signed Mitch Morse, who's never been to the Pro Bowl but should be an upgrade over Fortner. On top of that, the team's brass re-signed offensive guard Ezra Cleveland.

After landing in Jacksonville via trade, Cleveland was never able to hit his stride because he dealt with a series of injury. The expectation is that spending the offseason getting acclimated to the system and being at full strength will help the former Boise State Bronco put it all together.

While Cleveland missed time in training camp, he suited up for the preseason finale and the Jaguars got to see their starting line together for the first time in a while. They should be encouraged. Etienne and Bigsby averaged 6.4 and 5.0 yards, respectively. Granted, it came against the Falcons' backups, but the hog mollis did what was asked of them.

Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby give the Jaguars a dynamic RB duo

It's no hyperbole to say that Tank Bigsby was one of the team's biggest disappointments of 2023. A third-round pick in last year's draft, the former Auburn Tiger was expected to form a formidable backfield tandem alongside Bigsby but instead was underwhelming. Apart from averaging a paltry 2.6 yards per carry, he made several mistakes that directly led to turnovers.

But despite his struggles, the Jaguars didn't give up on Bigsby and instead doubled down on their commitment to him, with offensive coordinator Press Taylor going as far as saying they might've mismanaged his rookie campaign.

Fast forward to 2024, and Bigsby has made the most of the team's confidence, looking noticeably better in both training camp and the preseason. When you factor in the reinforcements the front office made to the offensive trenches, the Georgia native is in a position to become the player Jacksonville expected when they drafted him 88th overall in 2023.

But as promising as the duo of Etienne and Bigsby looks, the Jaguars' running back room goes deeper. D'Ernest Johnson re-signed in the offseason and has delivered when called upon. Also in the mix are rookies Keilan Robinson and Jalen Jackson, both of whom have made a strong impression at different points in the offseason.

This is to say that the Jaguars' running back group is as deep as it can be, which is why No. 15 in the 33rd Team's ranking feels too low on merit alone. By the end of preseasons, they'll show with their play that they deserve a higher spot, one in the top 10, and who knows? Maybe as high as the top 5.

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