Jaguars Bolster Rb Room During Nfl Draft; Could Travis Etienne Be On The Hot Seat?

The Jacksonville Jaguars are rebuilding their skill position groups.

In a couple of months, the franchise has offloaded receivers Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis in addition to tight end Evan Engram. All three players were Week 1 starters for the franchise alongside Brian Thomas Jr.

Now, he sits alone as the top returning wideout in 2025, with the franchise supplementing him with Dyami Brown and second-overall pick, receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter.

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Though the team has settled their receiver group, it's the franchise's running backs who could find themselves in an ever-changing environment next.

In last month's NFL Draft, the Jaguars addressed another position group, adding two running backs to a stable many presumed could be left relatively untouched before April.

Jaguars address running game in two ways during free agency, NFL Draft

Jaguars head coach Liam Coen has harped on the necessity for a strong running game since he was introduced to the franchise in late January.

"To go into playoff games and to go do it, you've got to be able to run the football and stop the run, first and foremost," Coen said at his introductory press conference.

Coen also mentioned something that's resonated since his introductory presser on the need to surround quarterback Trevor Lawrence with dynamic and explosive players.

"How do we make Trevor Lawrence and this offense as dynamic and explosive as we can be? We've got to build it around him as well. We've got to make every part of this about improvement, and he will be a part of that process," Coen suggested.

Since then, the Jaguars have stayed true to their plan, signing two starters on the offensive line in free agency (Patrick Meklari and Robert Hainsey) in addition to two depth players (Chuma Edoga and Fred Johnson).

The Jaguars also addressed the offensive line with two selections during the draft, once in the third round (OL Wyatt Milum) and again in the seventh round (C Jonah Monheim).

Jaguars add to the trenches via draft and free agency:

• OL Patrick Mekari, Ravens
• OT Chuma Edoga, Cowboys
• C Robert Hainsey, Buccaneers
• OL Fred Johnson, Eagles
• OL Wyatt Milum, West Virginia (Round 3)
• C Jonah Monheim, USC (Round 7)

In conjunction with adding to the team's offensive line, Jacksonville also drafted two running backs, including Virginia Tech RB Bhayshul Tuten (Round 4) and Syracuse RB LeQuint Allen Jr.

Both backs provide different elements, with Tuten operating as a more traditional, three-down back with plenty of speed and Allen operating as a receiving back with the ability to run between the tackles.

Tuten, 5-foot-9, 206 pounds, is short, but not small by any means. He packs a punch as one of the best rushers from this year's draft at breaking tackles (second behind Ashton Jeanty), while also imposing his will from anywhere on the field with a blazing 4.32 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine (best among running backs in 2025).

In his final year at Virginia Tech, Tuten rushed for 1,159 yards and 15 touchdowns. He caught 23 passes for 81 yards and a TD. Tuten missed one game last year due to a left ankle injury.

Allen, 6-foot, 204 pounds, set school records for catching and receiving yards by a running back last season with 64 catches for 521 yards and four touchdowns through the air. He also carried the ball 228 times for 1,021 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground.

His ability to play on third down increases his chances of seeing early playing time in Jacksonville. He will immediately help the team on special teams, too.

Could Jaguars RB additions put Travis Etienne on the hot seat?

With Jacksonville looking to bolster its ground attack at both the OL and RB levels, it begs the question of whether starting back Travis Etienne still holds a safe spot on the roster.

Etienne, 26, has been Jacksonville's most productive back since he took the field for the first time in 2022 after being drafted in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Etienne has rushed for 2,691 yards (4.2 yards per carry) and 18 touchdowns through 44 starts.

Still, Etienne is entering the final year of his rookie contract after posting the worst season of his career, totalling just 558 yards on the ground (3.7 yards per carry) and 39 catches for 254 yards through the air.

Etienne has a guaranteed salary of $6,143,000 this season, putting a spotlight on his roster spot given the cheaper players who sit behind him, including backup Tank Bigsby and second-year rusher/return specialist Keilan Robinson, in addition to the aforementioned draft selections.

Bigsby posted the best season of his young career in 2024, rushing for 766 yards (4.6 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns on the ground. Bigsby struggled to stay on the field on third down, however, totalling just seven catches.

Jacksonville's now-crowded backfield could continue to see tinkering as the team further evaluates the position. Though Etienne's veteran status could give him the advantage, he would have to prove invaluable as a pass protector to guarantee his spot on the roster come opening day.

Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius.

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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars' Etienne may face pressure after team drafts new running backs