Jaguars' Travis Etienne Ranked No. 13 RB From 2023
The 2023 NFL season is officially over.
With the Kansas City Chiefs once again notching a Super Bowl win, now is the time for reflection upon the season. For some, that means sorting out who impressed the most.
This brings us to an NFL.com ranking of every running back who started a game in 2023: all 72 of them. And among those 72, Jaguars running back Travis Etienne came in ranked No. 13.
"There were definite positives in Etienne's third season with the Jaguars, like the three-game span in October when he scored six touchdowns. He had 70 more touches this season than he did in 2022, but his efficiency dropped off rather significantly, going from 5.1 yards per carry in '22 to 3.8 this season," Maurice Jones-Drew said. "While it was largely a disappointing season in Jacksonville, Etienne’s 1,484 scrimmage yards are nothing to scoff at."
Etienne came in ranked above names such as Joe Mixon, Bijan Robinson, Saquon Barkley, Isiah Pacheco, Tony Pollard, and Jonathan Taylor.
The 12 running backs ranked in front of Etienne are: Christian McCaffrey, Kyren Williams, Derrick Henry, Raheem Mostert, James Cook, Breece Hall, James Conner, David Montgomery, D'Andre Swift, Jahmyr Gibbs, Rachaad White, and Najee Harris.
Etienne, the No. 25 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, earned a vote for Offensive Player of the Year for the first time in his career after proving to be a key cog in the Jaguars' offense in 2023. The offense didn't meet most expectations, but Etienne arguably had a more impactful season than in 2022, leading the league in missed tackles forced and improving as a receiving threat out of the backfield.
Etienne finished the year with his second consecutive 1,000-yard season, rushing for 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.