CBS Ranks Jaguars' Travis Etienne No. 11 Among Running Backs

Travis Etienne is left just outside the top 10 by CBS Sports.

Oct 15, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne (1) celebrates after a touchdown run against the Indianapolis Colts in the first half at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports / Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne had big expectations coming out of Clemson. And through his first two years on the field, he has more than met them.

After missing his first season due to a Lisfranc injury, Etienne has bounced back with a force thanks to back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. And as a result, it is becoming more of a consensus that Etienne is one of the NFL's top running backs entering 2024.

In a ranking of the top 20 running backs entering the year, CBS Sports has Etienne ranked at No. 11 -- finishing as the second-highest ranked running back in the AFC South.

"Travis Etienne put together a second 1,000-yard rushing season (1,008) and more than doubled his rushing touchdown figure his rookie season, five in 2022 to 11 in 2023. His 89 tackles avoided last season led the entire NFL, and his 1,484 scrimmage yards were the fifth most in the league among running backs.

The problem here is his efficiency plummeted in 2023 with his yards per carry declining from 5.1 as a rookie (1,125 rushing yards on 220 carries) to 3.8 last season (1,008 rushing yards on 267 carries). Not all of that is his fault, to be fair. Jacksonville was assessed a 40.6 run-blocking grade by Pro Football Focus, the second worst in the entire NFL last season ahead of only the Los Angeles Chargers and their 40.1 PFF run-blocking grade. The poor blocking could also contribute to the reason why Etienne had to avoid as many tackles as he did, and why his stuff rate of 25.5% was the second highest in the NFL among 49 running backs with at last 100 carries, trailing only Browns running back Jerome Ford's 27.5% figure.

The Jaguars did sign center Mitch Morse away from the Buffalo Bills on a two-year, $10.5 million deal, and they re-signed guard Ezra Cleveland to a three-year, $24 million contract. Internal development for right tackle Anton Harrison, the team's first-round pick in 2023, and Walker Little, a second-round pick in 2021, could pay dividends. A healthier Trevor Lawrence could also boost the threat of the run game. Plenty of reason to think Etienne can have a more efficient season at age 25 in 2024."

- Garrett Podell, CBS Sports

Etienne finished 2023 with 1,008 yards (3.8 yards per carry) and 11 touchdowns, while also catching 58 passes for 476 yards and a touchdown.

Etienne posted at least two rushing touchdowns in three straight games from Week 5 to Week 7. He became the first player in franchise history to record multiple rushing touchdowns in three consecutive games in a season.

Etienne recorded 1,484 scrimmage yards in 2023, joining Maurice Jones-Drew as the only Jaguars to reach 1,000 scrimmage yards in their first two active NFL seasons. Etienne is the third player in Jaguars history to record 1,300 scrimmage yards in consecutive seasons.

"Again, just taking another step, year three with us in the offense and just seeing his growth. I think there's more out there that he can get yard wise," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said in May.

"It'll definitely be an emphasis utilizing him more so in the run game and making sure that those yards that are there that we're doing the right things, we're hitting the right holes, we're anticipating defenders and blocking schemes and all that kind of stuff. Then being able to take the wear and tear off him with Tank."

---

• Follow and like us on Facebook.
• Submit your questions for our mailbag.
• Subscribe to the Jaguars On SI Podcast on Apple and Spotify.
• Check out the Jaguars On SI YouTube Channel.