The Jacksonville Jaguars put a lot of faith in Bhayshul Tuten taking a jump in his second NFL season. To this point, it has paid off, with Tuten being graded as one of the top backs league-wide through the opening three weeks.
The Jacksonville Jaguars lost two franchise cornerstones in free agency, as linebacker Devin Lloyd and running back Travis Etienne bolted for big deals from NFC squads.
But, to this point, the players listed behind Etienne and Lloyd last season have taken big steps forward, with Ventrell Miller holding down the middle of Anthony Campanile's defense and Bhayshul Tuten ranking within the top-10 in the NFL for yards per carry (4.7).
Tuten has been very consistent with his production, posting rushing totals of 66, 65, and 73 yards through the first three weeks.
On Thursday, Pro Football Focus (PFF) released their grades for the top-five running backs in the NFL thus far, with Tuten coming in at No. 4 (83.8).
The other four backs in the rankings are all considered top-10 tailbacks, with Kenneth Walker, Jahmyr Gibbs, Bijan Robinson, and Kyren Williams filling in the remaining spots within PFF's top-5 rankings.
In his past two games, Tuten found the endzone, with his most-recent score making waves on social media.
With the game firmly in control against the New England Patriots, starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence broke free for a run, with nothing stopping him from crossing the goalline for six.
But, he opted to take a knee at the one-yard line, allowing more time to burn off the clock, and giving Tuten a chance to score.
Lawrence joked that he wanted to help out the people who drafted Tuten in fantasy football by giving him the score following the game.
Following the Jaguars' only loss, a Week 2 slugfest against the Denver Broncos, offensive coordinator Grant Udinski said the second-year Virginia Tech product is earning his stripes.
"I think in the run game, the runs probably speak for themselves," Udinski said. "The yards after contact, being able to find the reads, I think his reads themselves have improved. You see it in some of the wide zone and some of those toss plays where he's getting out on the edge. It highlights his speed and his ability to find those creases or navigate those blocks at the second and third levels, whether it's on a corner or on a safety."
Udinski has been very high on Tuten since the offseason, with head coach Liam Coen confirming that his new bellcow back has "homerun" ability.
Tuten is yet to really break one through the opening three weeks, but he has gashed opposing defenses for consistently solid gains, helping keep the offense ahead of the chains.
The Cincinnati Bengals, who host Jacksonville on Sunday, have been solid against the run, giving up just 95.7 yards per game on the ground.
But, they are surrendering 4.7 yards per carry, which is towards the bottom of the league.
Expect the Jaguars' offense to lean on Tuten early, setting up opportunities for Lawrence to take shots against a shoddy Bengals secondary.
