With Travis Etienne Jr. departing for New Orleans, second-year speedster Bhayshul Tuten leads a backfield-by-committee approach aimed at revitalizing Jacksonville's ground game.
The Jacksonville Jaguars' OTAs are later in the month, and while starting lineups are in the works, Bleacher Report dropped its projections for all 32 teams on Thursday.
Jacksonville's offensive lineup largely remains the same, besides the running back position. Gary Davenport projected Bhayshul Tuten to man the starting position and succeed Travis Etienne Jr.
"The biggest issue looming over the Jaguars' offense right now appears to be the ground game," Davenport wrote. "But after the loss of Travis Etienne Jr. in free agency, the team didn't add any backs of note, which would appear to indicate the franchise has faith in second-year pro Bhayshul Tuten."
The Jaguars lost Etienne Jr. to the New Orleans Saints for a four-year, $52 million contract. His departure created a hole the team needed to address in the offseason since Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr. served as backups, while DeeJay Dallas was on the practice squad for the majority of last season.
Coach Liam Coen said Jacksonville would lean more into Tuten's strengths, using his speed to bounce runs outside and into the open field. The former Virginia Tech Hokie improved his ball security, turning his nine fumbles in his final two years in college into one during his rookie campaign.
Tuten would have big shoes to fill if he becomes the starter. Etienne was a consistent 1,000-yard rusher, surpassing that total in three of his four seasons with the Jaguars. The second-year running back rushed for 307 yards and five touchdowns on 83 carries -- all in the red zone -- last season.
Davenport said Jacksonville didn't add any backs of note, but Chris Rodriguez Jr. signed a two-year, $10 million contract in March. The former Kentucky Wildcat is familiar with Coen, as he was the program's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2021.
Rodriguez Jr. spent three seasons with the Washington Commanders and split reps with Jacory Croskey-Merrit last season. He rushed 500 yards and six touchdowns on 112 carries.
Davenport projects the Jaguars to trust their running game to Tuten as the starter, but he still has to compete with Rodriguez Jr. However, both of them could provide Jacksonville with a 1-2 punch, with Allen Jr. also pitching in some production.
With the loss of Etienne Jr., it seems the team is attacking the running back position with a "by committee" approach.
Davenport also noted that Emmanuel Pregnon, the 88th pick in the third round, could give Ezra Cleveland some competition at the left guard spot.
Pregnon was one of the better offensive linemen in college football, posting an 86.7 offensive grade from Pro Football Focus (PFF), ranking the second-best among all linemen in the FBS. He was highly touted as a first-round pick, but fell to Jacksonville in the third round.
For Jacksonville's defense, it remains the same, as they did not make any new additions in free agency. Ventrell Miller will step in as the lead linebacker in the place of the departed Devin Lloyd, and Travis Hunter will play a majority of his snaps at cornerback.
Tuten is projected to win the lead running back spot for the Jaguars, aiming to mitigate the loss of Etienne Jr. However, there are five sessions of OTAs in May and June that could change Davenport's projections come the start of the 2026 season.
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