Jacksonville's Forgotten Star

By: Lucas Kochevar

        The Jacksonville Jaguars have been a very forgettable franchise since they entered the league. Even the 2017 team, which had a terrifying defense, is not talked about ever, despite making the AFC Championship and nearly knocking off the Patriots. However, something has changed in Duvall county with the arrival with the first overall pick, Trevor Lawrence. The Jaguars have a potential star at QB but, the weapons around him have to perform. Jacksonville has plenty of playmakers on the team for him to succeed such as, WR's DJ Chark and Laviska Shenault Jr., and Marvin Jones. The one player that I think will be a game changer is RB James Robinson.

        In the 2021 NFL Draft, the Jags selected Travis Etienne with the 25th pick and it was a true head-scratcher. Robinson had just rushed 1,070 yards, which was tied for 5th in the league. He was clearly a top rookie running back in his class and they drafted someone to replace him? Alas, Etienne fractured a bone in his foot and will miss the entire season. This opens up what should be another huge year for Robinson. The undrafted RB led all rookies in rushing yards and was the only appealing part of that Jacksonville offense. 

        The Jaguars hired former Ohio State HC Urban Meyer over the off-season and one thing Meyer always had at Ohio State was a solid running game. Meyer will likely bring some of these value with him from college and should keep Robinson moving. Darrell Bevell is the new offensive coordinator and he spent the past years between Detroit and Seattle. His history with the run game isn't very inspiring, however, he has a good history with the passing attack. Robinson was a very reliable dump-off target for Jacksonville last season and this should keep that part of his game valuable. Robinson is a smaller built back, but runs with some aggression and lowers his shoulders often into his opponent. Robinson reminds me of a smaller and faster Michael Turner. He churns his legs through contact, but has more speed to slide through the gap and break off big runs. 

       Lawrence will be the storyline in Jacksonville, for good reason, but do not underestimate Robinson and his impact on this offense. He has great potential for a similar year and could find himself in the pro bowl.