ESPN rankings reinforce Jaguars' bet at running back

The Jacksonville Jaguars have faced constant criticism for their approach to free agency this offseason, with two main complaints from analysts.

>The first is that the Jaguars didn't make any major signings, with only Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez brought on board during the initial free agency waves. The second is for letting two of their star players — linebacker Devin Lloyd and running back Travis Etienne — walk away.

>Etienne's loss in particular has been a major sticking point for analysts, who have argued Jacksonville didn't do enough to replace him. His career with the Jaguars has been mixed; an injury took him out of his 2021 rookie season before it even started, but he returned in 2022 with a vengeance, running for over 1,000 yards.

>After another 1,000-yard season in 2023, Etienne's production plummeted in 2024, but he had a rebound season in 2025 under head coach Liam Coen, racking up over 1,100 rushing yards, with another 341 passing yards and 14 total touchdowns. But does that make him truly irreplaceable?

>ESPN surveyed league executives, coaches, and scouts for their annual rankings of 11 different positions, and the first to be released is running backs. The voters compiled a top 10 list of running backs in the league, as well as three honorable mentions. Etienne was not included in the top 10 or among the honorable mentions, though he was one of seven running backs who received votes.

>There's no denying that Etienne has been a productive running back, but the rankings give more credence to the argument that the hype surrounding Etienne in free agency may have been slightly overrated. As ESPN's Seth Walder pointed out, Etienne finished 2025 just 44 yards over what was expected.

>None of this is meant to diminish what Etienne accomplished in Jacksonville; he was a productive player and an important part of the Jaguars' offense. But together, it further shows that his departure may not be quite as devastating as the offseason narratives have implied, or that none of the Jaguars' current running backs — Rodriguez, Bhayshul Tuten, and LeQuint Allen — are capable replacements for Etienne.

>It's important to note that all three running backs are still relatively new to the NFL. Rodriguez is the most experienced veteran among the three, and he has fewer than 200 career rushing attempts. All three still have the time and potential to show that they can shoulder a greater workload out of the backfield.

>But even more importantly, the criticism towards the Jaguars for allegedly not having a good enough replacement for Etienne fundamentally misunderstands the approach Jacksonville is taking at the position. The reality is, instead of replacing a consensus top-10 running back, the Jaguars are looking to replace the production of a very good one with a committee of backs, each of whom can bring different things to the table.

>That reality changes the conversation, and drastically undercuts the idea that the Jacksonville running game is already a failure before the season even begins, simply for the loss of Etienne.

>This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: ESPN rankings reinforce Jaguars' bet at running back