Jags' Biggest Remaining Roster Issue Named
· Yahoo Sports
The Jacksonville Jaguars have one of the strongest rosters in the AFC heading into the 2026 season.
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Trevor Lawrence is an MVP-level quarterback. After a career year in 2025, the 26-year-old looks to be just hitting his prime and is finally showing the talent that made him the top overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Lawrence gets to throw to one of the deepest wide receiver groups in the league. Both Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Meyers were ranked among the top 32 WRs in the NFL, while Parker Washington is an emerging star who had a breakout season last year.
Jacksonville's defense was the best in the NFL against the run last year. Though it was just average against the pass, having star edge rusher Travon Walker healthy in 2026 should help strengthen the team's pass rush. Adding second-year sensation Travis Hunter's All-Pro potential at cornerback full-time should do wonders for the entire defense.
However, the Jaguars' roster is not without its share of question marks.
Ever since Travis Etienne left Jacksonville for the New Orleans Saints, many have questioned whether the Jaguars' stable of running backs will be able to step up to fill that void. The signing of Chris Rodriguez Jr. in free agency did little to quell the concerns.
With training camp set to begin in about a week, Matt Okada of NFL.com named his biggest remaining roster issue for each AFC team. Like many, Okada believes running back is still the Jaguars' biggest weakness.
Can Jaguars' RB-By-Committee Approach Work?As Okada notes, Etienne has averaged over 250 touches and 1300 yards in Jacksonville's last three winning seasons. Instead of finding another workhorse back to replace him, the Jaguars are relying on an RB-by-committee approach,
Will it work? Okada has his doubts.
"With the departure of Travis Etienne in free agency, Jacksonville will be forced to recreate his impact in the aggregate in 2026. The problem is the group filling that role features a pair of 2025 Day 3 picks in Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen and old-fashioned grinder Chris Rodriguez Jr. The Jaguars should get speed from Tuten, pass-catching contributions from Allen and short-yardage work from Rodriguez, but the offense might lack flexibility and disguise from play to play. Etienne logged 250-plus touches and 1,300-plus yards in each of the Jaguars’ last three winning seasons -- his absence could be felt early and often in Duval."
Okada makes a tremendous point here. Although each of Jacksonville's top three backs brings a unique skill set to the table, it may be difficult for the Jaguars to disguise their play calls based on which back is on the field.
Unless each one can develop into a more complete back, instead of a one-trick pony, defenses should have a much easier time figuring out what the offense is planning to do.
If Tuten, Allen, and Rodriguez Jr. show they can contribute in multiple areas, their different skill sets should be a significant advantage for the team.
Final Thoughts
I believe Jacksonville will be just fine at running back this season.
Tuten is an explosive back who has looked good so far during Jacksonville's off-season program. He has to show it once the real games begin, of course, but has given no reason to believe he will not be able to handle lead-back duties.
Rodriguez Jr. brings a physicality to Jacksonville's running game that the team has lacked recently. He has been unable to practice so far due to injury, but is expected to be fully healthy for training camp. His powerful style should be a great complement to Tuten, and he should excel in short yardage/goal line situations.
Allen is a terrific receiver and pass-blocker who can also provide some juice as a runner. As he develops his game, he could become a very dangerous weapon for the offense.
Just because the Jaguars lost Etienne doesn't mean their running game will be a weakness in 2026. The running backs Jacksonville will be using this year just need to prove they can handle larger roles.
However, until they do, many will be calling for the Jaguars to add an upgrade at the position.
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