2023 AFC South Rankings: How Does Travis Etienne Stack Up to Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor?

The Jacksonville Jaguars are looking to make team history in 2023.

The last time the Jaguars won back-to-back divisional titles was in 1998 and 1999, when the AFC South wasn't yet formed. The Houston Texans weren't a franchise and the Jaguars shared the AFC Central with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Tennessee Oilers/Titans, and the Cincinnati Bengals.

Since the Jaguars' migration to the newly-formed AFC South in 2002, the Jaguars have won two AFC South titles in 2017 and 2022. While every other franchise has won back-to-back divisional titles at some point in the division's history, the Jaguars will be looking to do it for the first time this season.

In our preview of the Jaguars' search for another AFC South title, we are going to do a list of rankings of the top positions and units in the division ahead of the 2023 season.

Next up: the running back position.

So, which team has the best projected starting running back for 2023 and which teams are lagging behind? We break it down below.

Related: 2023 AFC South Rankings: Who Falls Behind Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence in QB Hierarchy?

1) Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans 

Last year was arguably a step back for Derrick Henry. The difference for Henry is that his down season consisted of 1,936 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns, with Henry proving week in and week out that he is still an elite back despite the wear and tear the Titans have caused. Henry's peak may not last much longer, but he is still one of the most dangerous running backs in the NFL. 

The Titans offense should be better in 2023 than it was last season, but the offense will still flow through Henry. So while Henry may not be a top-5 back for many more seasons, it is still fair to assume that he is going to be one of the NFL's top backs in 2023. 

2) Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars 

Etienne was electric for the Jaguars in 2022, recording 5.1 yards per carry and recording 1,441 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns in his first real NFL season. Etienne wasn't perfect -- with Jaguars coaches noting that there were some yards and plays left on the field -- but he was dynamic and came up big for the Jaguars in a number of ways.

Etienne finished No. 34 in EPA/Rush and Jaguars coaches expect him to be better in 2023 as he becomes even more accustomed to NFL speed and the Jaguars' running scheme. While he may never be an Alvin Kamara-type pass-catcher, he has the speed to threaten defenses at every level. 

3) Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts 

Last year was a down year for Jonathan Taylor in a big way. Injuries and issues at the quarterback and offensive line positions limited Taylor, but there are still enough red flags to be concerned about him hitting his big numbers from 2020 and 2021 again. After recording 3,639 yards from scrimmage and 32 touchdowns in his first two seasons, Taylor averaged a full yard less per touch last year and only found the end zone four times. 

Taylor should see a bump solely from the addition of mobile quarterback Anthony Richardson and the threat his legs pose to defenses, but Taylor was No. 56 in EPA/Rush last year and has to prove that his first two seasons weren't due to a then-impressive offensive line. That line may not be much better this year, so concerns for Taylor are valid.

4) Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans

Pierce's rookie season was clearly a success. The fourth-round pick averaged 4.3 yards per carry and recorded 939 rushing yards and 1,104 yards from scrimmage for a bad Texans offense that didn't have many other weapons. Injuries limited Pierce to 13 games and slowed him down during the final stretch of the season.

The things that ding Pierce in these rankings are a lack of overall efficiency (No. 53 in EPA/Rush, between Najee Harris and Dalvin Cook) and a lack of big-play ability. He is a solid grinder who will get tough yards and should be able to handle the load for an improved Texans offense in 2023, even if he is in a different tier than the other backs in the division.