The depth of the Jaguars’ running back room was on display against the Saints in Week 2 of the preseason.
The depth of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ running back room was on display in their preseason opener against the New Orleans Saints.
In Week 1 of the preseason, Travis Etienne was the starting running back, so in Week 2, it was Tank Bigsby’s turn.
Bigsby’s big play came on a screen pass where he got in the open field and picked up 19 yards. He also had a first-down run of four yards on one play that put the Jaguars ahead of the sticks.
On the second possession for the Jaguars, Etienne came in the game and took advantage of some open running lanes. On just three carries, Etienne totaled 24 yards, with a long of 15 yards.
As Liam Coen said after the game, the success that the Jaguars had running the ball on those two opening possessions helped Trevor Lawrence and the passing game.
For much of the game, the Jaguars leaned heavily on Bhayshul Tuten again, who had 35 rushing yards and another rushing touchdown.
LeQuint Allen, meanwhile, stood out in the passing game, leading the team in targets with five while also holding his own on a few blitz pickups.
“Tank and Etienne, I thought both had some really nice moments,” Coen said. “So did Tuten and LeQuint. I mean, I thought all four of those guys actually had some really nice moments.”
Each of these backs brings something different to the Jaguars’ backfield. Bigsby is the more physical runner. Etienne is terrific in space. Tuten, with his 4.32 speed, brings an added home run ability, while Allen is very experienced in the passing game coming out of Syracuse.
According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, the Jaguars’ plan is to go heavy at the running back position and roster all four of these backs. Bigsby and Etienne are at the top of this depth chart, but how the playing time in this room will break down this season still remains to be seen and could be dictated by what the weekly matchup calls for.
