4 Questions Regarding Jaguars Crowded RB Position Battle

Every NFL team will be in camp by this time next week but not every team has a competition as hot as Jacksonville’s offensive backfield. The Jaguars will host one of the five most intriguing position battles across the league, and fantasy managers aren’t the only ones watching. One Jacksonville back could open the regular season with another club.

Travis Etienne, Tank Bigsby and Bhayshul Tuten are all virtually the same height and weight. They’re also separated by only three years in age. Tuten is obviously the youngest at 23, but Bigsby is only six months older. And Etienne, who has started 46 of a possible 53 games including postseason since the Jaguars took him in the first round of the 2021 draft, is just 26.

While Tuten has the most speed – he ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash at the combine, one of the fastest times at his position – Bigsby led the team in carries (168), rushing yards (766) and rushing touchdowns (7) last season. Etienne’s shoulder injury presented a prime opportunity for Bigsby, who didn’t disappoint.

Who will get the first carries of camp? – While the new coaching staff might say there’s a clean slate and competition makes the team better, only one player will take the first snap of training camp.

In any position battle, that vote of confidence has served as an important, subtle endorsement. It usually has signaled the player coaches view as the one that gives the team its best chance to win had it needed to play a game that week. Plus, taking the first snap gives the player a shot of confidence – and an opportunity to keep the job.

Will Bigsby’s 2024 momentum carry over to training camp? -- According to ESPN analytics writer Ben Solak, from Weeks 5-18 in 2024, Bigsby clearly out-performed Etienne. The Jaguars’ second-round selection in the 2023 draft, Bigsby outrushed Etienne over that stretch 147-103 and recorded a 0.01 EPA per rush compared to Etienne's minus-0.13. Bigsby also registered a 38.8-percent success rate (Etienne finished at 35.9 percent) and 2.33 yards after contact per attempt (Etienne posted a 1.36).

How will Liam Coen’s offense influence the competition? – The prior Jaguars coaching staff under Doug Pederson averaged 438 carries per season. Liam Coen’s offense had 483 last year in Tampa Bay. Playing with the lead obviously creates more rushing opportunities, but Coen is expected to employ a more balanced offense. With rookie Bucky Irving (43 percent of the carries) and veteran Rachaad White (30 percent), Tampa Bay was the only NFL team to finish among the top-five in both rushing and passing last year.

“Now, the offensive staff in Jacksonville has been overhauled,” Solak wrote, “and new coach Liam Coen used a two-headed backfield well when he was coordinating the Buccaneers' offense last season. So, why not just play Etienne and Bigsby in a committee?”

Tuten is why. A fourth-round rookie (104th overall), Tuten forced 0.34 missed tackles per attempt in 2024, one of the highest marks in the nation. And judging by his explosiveness at Virginia Tech, he has the potential to score every time he touches the ball.

“I'm fairly certain Tuten will play a solid role in the backfield,” Solak said, “as he is the recent acquisition relative to the two veterans this new staff is inheriting. But there aren't enough touches to feed three backs, which means Etienne and Bigsby will contend for the 1A role.”

What happens if there’s an odd man out? – Depending on how the preseason plays out, including which players emerge at other positions and on special teams, Jacksonville could certainly trade either Etienne or Bigsby to a running-back-needy team. The Jaguars could use another selection after sending their 2026 first-rounder to Cleveland in the Travis Hunter trade.

“Given what we saw last season,” Solak said, “I think Bigsby will win that battle in a fair fight -- the decision might come down to which back returns more capital in a trade.”

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