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As the Urban Meyer debacle has come and gone, the Jacksonville Jaguars actually have something to love forward to for the 2022 NFL season. With both Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne hopefully having better seasons than last year, it remains to be seen if they have enough help around them.
Former Eagles head coach Doug Pederson is now leading the team after having taken some time off from coaching, and his veteran mindset and experience will be great for a team desperate to have any taste of success. An expensive offseason saw this team undergo a facelift, but will it be enough to actually win some games?
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Jaguars Key Position Group For The 2022 NFL Season
Running Backs
Every team has that one position group that is full of talent but seems to never reach its high expectations, and while Jacksonville has some talent scattered throughout their roster, it is their running back group that looks to be in for a big impact in 2022.
Etienne and James Robinson, on paper, could be one of the league’s best tandems from top to bottom. But things all rely on the health of their second-year back from Clemson.
Article Continues Below![Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen looks on during a rookie minicamp at Miller Electric Center Saturday, May 10, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Liam-Coen-at-Jaguars-OTAs.jpg)
Robinson took over as the lead back for all of last season after Etienne missed the entire year with a dreaded Lisfranc injury. Across 14 games, Robinson rushed for 767 yards and 8 TDs while hauling in 31 receptions for 222 yards – his rushing output tied Robinson with Lamar Jackson on the year and just ahead of Josh Allen.
The first-round selection of Etienne by the Jaguars in the 2021 NFL Draft was a questionable one at best, seeing as how Robinson had just come off of a 1,400-yard, 10-TD season in his rookie campaign. But bringing in a fellow teammate of Lawrence, who is going to be this franchise’s cornerstone for many years to come, seemed too tough to pass up.
The kind of role that Etienne projects to have in Jacksonville likely won’t force him into a bell-cow role, especially with the type of talent that Robinson still brings to the table. Etienne’s true value lies in his role in the passing game, something that was on full display during his days with the Clemson Tigers.
Having seen significant time all four years of college, Etienne’s passing-game output did not become impactful until the final two years of his career, when he put up 37 and 48 receptions, respectfully. Etienne’s senior year helped put him fully on the map as one of the best RB options entering the league, as his 200+ touches turned into 1,702 yards (914 rushing, 588 receiving) and 16 total TDs.
If Etienne can remain healthy and take over the starting role, then both he and Robinson will hold down important roles in an offense that has a lot of untapped potential tied to it. Giving Lawrence two established options besides him in the backfield or split out wide will only help open up the offensive gameplan, ultimately letting Pederson explore more as the season progresses.
