The Jacksonville Jaguars appear to be confident in their offensive backfield in spite of the outside noise. Bhayshul Tuten has stood out throughout the offseason program, and the Jags have enviable depth behind. Sure, Chris Rodriguez is recovering from foot surgery, but he'll be back at full strength.
Also in the mix is sophomore LeQuint Allen, who should see an uptick in playing time next season. He, Rodriguez, and Tuten are pretty much locks to make the team. That could leave DeeJay Dallas, Ammer Abdullah and an undrafted rookie J'Mari Taylor in a three-way battle for the No. 4 spot.
Dallas and Abdullah are grizzled veterans, but Taylor is doing his best to be in the thick of the competition. His performance on Day 1 of mandatory minicamp could be a sign that he's ready to move ahead of both of his more experienced counterparts.
J'Mari Taylor keeps building his stock at Jaguars minicamp
John Shipley of Sports Illustrated shared his notes from Day 1 of mandatory minicamp. He reported that rookie J'Mari Taylor keeps making a strong impression, pointing out that the former Virginia Cavalier was the only running back who managed to break off big runs at the same rate as Bhayshul Tuten.
"You might be tired of hearing about undrafted rookie running back J'Mari Taylor," Shipley wrote. "We have talked about him seemingly over and over since he first debuted at rookie minicamp last month, but days like the one he had on Tuesday make it impossible to review the practice without mentioning Taylor and the role he could carve out."
Shipley continued, "Taylor was seemingly the only running back who was able to go run-for-run with Tuten in terms of explosive runs. Taylor produced several big runs around the edge of the defense, which has been a common occurrence this offseason."
Later, Shipley warns that Taylor may not get many snaps, as he would be RB4. Nevertheless, he thinks he's the best roster choice over the other veteran running backs.
Taylor went undrafted because he didn't test well during the pre-draft process. However, he's quickly showing that he's way more athletic than his scores suggested. The fact that he's already making a strong impression bodes well for his odds of making the roster.
Having said that, his momentum could stall once the pads come on in the next phase of the offseason program. So far, contact has been prohibited, so it will be up to the rookie running back to prove that he can shine in game-day conditions.
The Jaguars hay have found an undrafted gem in J'Mari Taylor
The Jaguars have been urged to add an experienced running back, whether it's unsigned free agent Joe Mixon or Alvin Kamara via trade. However, it doesn't look like they'll be bringing in a veteran. Sure, their current group may lack experience but has a shortage of talent.
And that's the thing, Mixon and Kamara were pretty good in their prime, but neither may be an upgrade over the trio of Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez, and LeQuint Allen Jr. All three have bigger upside at this stage of their respective careers. Add J'Mari Taylor to the mix, and Jacksonville is set at running back.
Granted, Taylor isn't yet a lock to make the roster. He needs to build off his strong offseason showing and outperform Ameer Abdullah and DeeJay Dallas. Still, he should feel good about their chances.
If J'Mari Taylor ends up being RB4, he probably won't get much playing time. But if he's thrust into action, the Jaguars will feel great about him based on what he's done thus far.
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