Jaguars 2020 Position Reviews: A Star Emerges

With the 2020 season now a few weeks removed, we begin to go through each position group on the team to break down what went right and what went wrong for the Jaguars. Now, we look at running backs.

The 2020 season is now firmly in the rearview mirror. For the short and long-term future, most will remember 2020 as the year the Jaguars lost just enough to land the No. 1 overall pick. But while the future is always appealing, there is still value in learning from the past.

As a result, we are going to go through each of the Jacksonville Jaguars position groups and review the season we just saw play out. Despite Jacksonville's franchise-worst 1-15 record, some position groups still flashed impressive play. Meanwhile, others failed to take the step forward the Jaguars ultimately needed.

We already covered quarterbacks, so we will continue to look at the offensive backfield in this edition with a peek at the running back group. 

Jacksonville made big waves at running back before the season began, releasing former No. 4 overall pick Leonard Fournette just 13 days before the season began. Fournette was Jacksonville's entire offense in terms of touches the year previously, so the Jaguars were making a big bet that they could improve their production by replacing him.

That bet ended up paying off, with the Jaguars' offense finishing 14th in rushing DVOA and rookie running back James Robinson finishing the year as a Rookie of the Year candidate. 

What the Jaguars said

“That’s amazing really [when] you go back and look at where he came from. The opportunities he had in training camp were few and far between and then when he did get them, to take advantage of them like he did and then be thrust into the starting role Week 1 and to accomplish the things that he did is just unbelievable really," former Jaguars offensive coordinator Jay Gruden said about Robinson on December 30. "It’s a hell of feat for him. I’m happy for him, proud of him. I know he has a great career ahead of him. It’s been a pleasure coaching him that’s for sure."

"I just think James is the real deal. He’s a legit starting running back in the NFL. The thing I love about James is he doesn’t take – he never has lost yards. He’s always falling forward, he turns what could be 2nd-and-10s into 2nd-and-6s, and those add up over time," Jaguars quarterback Mike Glennon said on November 29. "He keeps the game in manageable situations, and he’s a special talent. How he fell to out of the draft, I have no clue. We are lucky to have him because he’s one of the better backs in the League.”

2020 in review

James Robinson 

2020 stats: 240 carries for 1,070 yards (4.5 yards per carry) and seven rushing touchdowns. 49 receptions on 60 targets for 344 yards (7.0 yards per reception) and three touchdowns. 289 total touches for 1,414 yards from scrimmage (4.9 yards per touch) and 10 touchdowns. 

If there was any player on Jacksonville's roster worthy of offseason awards and recognition, it was undrafted rookie running back James Robinson. Robinson's work ethic, attitude, and toughness all shined through from the second he walked onto the team's practice field for the first time. His maturity as a runner and pass protector helped him earn the starting gig entering the season and is the biggest reason Fournette was released before Week 1. 

Robinson ranked second among rookies with 1,414 scrimmage yards (1,070 rushing, 344 receiving) – the most scrimmage yards by an undrafted rookie in the common-draft era – and became the fourth undrafted rookie with at least 1,000 rushing yards since 1967. He had 10 touchdowns (seven rushing, three receiving) in 2020 and is the third undrafted rookie with 10 touchdowns in the common draft era, joining Phillip Lindsay (2018) and Dominic Rhodes (2001).

Robinson had seven games with at least 100 scrimmage yards this season, tied with Clark Gaines (seven games in 1976) for the most such games by an undrafted rookie since 1967. He was Jacksonville's entire offense on a weekly basis and would have put up even better numbers if he didn't miss the last two games of the season with an ankle injury. 

While Robinson had a few down games, it was a rare occurrence for him to not be a bright spot for the Jaguars. Above all else, he was the player the Jaguars turned to when they needed a big play, which says a lot about his talent considering he was a rookie. With Jacksonville leading the league in percentage of pass plays to run plays, it is incredible that Robinson produced to the level he did. 

Chris Thompson

2020 stats: Seven carries for 20 yards (2.9 yards per carry). 20 receptions on 23 targets for 146 yards (7.3 yards per catch) and one touchdown. 27 total touches for 166 yards (6.1 yards per touch). 

Signed to be Jacksonville's third-down back and reuniting with former Washington head coach Jay Gruden, expectations were high for Chris Thompson in his return to the Sunshine State. Injuries limited his impact, however, and the Jaguars are likely now going to look for a replacement. 

Thompson played in just eight games for the Jaguars in 2020, with a back injury landing him on injured reserve following Week 10. Thompson never had more than seven touches in a game for the Jaguars and he didn't record a single touch in two of his eight appearances. His lone touchdown was a reception against the Tennessee Titans in Week 2.

Thompson was a solid pass-catcher for the Jaguars, but he was a non-factor as a rusher and more often than not took away opportunities from James Robinson on third down. He had flashes, but nothing more. 

Dare Ogunbowale

2020 stats: 32 carries for 145 yards (4.5 yards per carry). 10 receptions on 20 targets for 54 yards (5.4 yards per catch). 42 total touches for 199 yards (4.7 yards per touch). 

Signed to Jacksonville's roster at the start of the season due to injuries at running back, Dare Ogunbowale didn't play a major role for the Jaguars until Robinson's season was lost to an ankle injury following Week 15. 

Over the first 15 weeks of the season, Ogunbowale touched the ball just seven times: four rushes and three receptions. He played mostly special teams and only played over 25% of the team's offensive snaps once during that span, even though the Jaguars had a limited running back depth chart. 

Ogunbowale was named the team's starter for the final two weeks of the season due to Robinson's ankle injury, however. It was the first time in his career that he was a featured part of an offense, carrying the ball 28 times for 121 yards (4.32 yards per carry) and catching seven passes for 29 yards (4.14 yards per catch). 

Ogunbowale never found the end zone in his first season with the Jaguars, but he did impress during his time as the starter at the end of the season. Add in his special teams value, and there is an argument for him to stick around as a No. 3 or No. 4 running back.

Devine Ozigbo

2020 stats: one carry for one yard (1.0 yards per carry). Nine receptions on nine targets for 42 yards (4.7 yards per catch). 10 total touches for 43 yards (4.3 yards per touch).

Expectations were high for Devine Ozigbo entering 2020, especially after Fournette's release. He was an electric backup the year previously who showed what he could do in Week 17 and in the preseason, and the feeling among many on the outside was that he would carve out a role in the offense.

Ozigbo would miss the first six games of the season with a hamstring injury, however, and then missed Weeks 9 and 10. He was active for each of the team's seven games but played just 27 offensive snaps on the season, serving as Ogunbowale's immediate backup for the entirety of the season once Thompson was placed on injured reserve. 

Ozigbo has a lot of talent and athleticism, but his window in 2020 shut quickly due to a mix of injuries and the emergence of Robinson as the team's best player on offense.

Craig Reynolds

2020 stats: one carry for four yards (4.0 yards per carry). One reception on one target for three yards (3.0 yards per catch). Two total touches for 7.5 yards (3.5 yards per touch).

Craig Reynolds bounced around practice squads before becoming active for the Jaguars at the end of the season due to Robinson's injuries. He was active for two games all season, with the final one coming in Week 16 against the Bears. He played his only three offensive snaps of the season that week, touching the ball twice during those snaps.

2021 outlook

It is hard to really bang the table for any running back on Jacksonville's roster moving into 2021 outside of Robinson. Robinson should become a featured piece of the offense as Urban Meyer and Darrell Bevell design the scheme, but the depth behind him is among the thinnest in the entire NFL.

Ogunbowale impressed enough as a rusher to at least earn a shot in camp. Ozigbo was injured for much of 2020 and barely played once healthy, but perhaps the next Jaguars staff could unlock his obvious talent. Meanwhile, Thompson's contract is expiring in March and it is hard to see the Jaguars bring him back with Gruden likely not on the staff next year. 

The Jaguars have a star running back in Robinson, but they badly need to give him some reinforcements this offseason. If they don't, they could be at risk of running him into the ground far too early into his career.