What Made 2 Jaguars Legends Elite Talents

Jacksonville has one of its deepest running back rooms in recent memory heading into Week 1. Coen and General Manager James Gladstone elected to keep four ball-carriers on the 53-man roster, which is a testament to the talent they have at that position. Between Travis Etienne Jr., Tank Bigsby, Bhayshul Tuten, and LeQuint Allen Jr., the Jags have four electric halfbacks that each bring different strengths to the backfield.

Coen garnered a lot of attention last season for what he was able to do for Baker Mayfield and the passing game as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive coordinator. However, he also drastically improved their performance on the ground, too, as the Bucs finished fourth in total rushing yards and third in yards per carry. Just imagine what Coen could have done if he had some of the Jaguars' previous running back stars at his disposal.

Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew are two of the greatest running backs in NFL history

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a deep running back room, but they lack a slam-dunk three-down workhorse who can carry an offense. Travis Etienne Jr. is set to be the primary ball-carrier, but there's a legitimate chance that Tank Bigsby or Bhayshul Tuten could overtake him in touches or surpass him on the depth chart altogether by season's end.

That didn't used to be the case in Duval, as the team has had some incredible lead backs throughout its history. It's been a long time since the Jaguars have had a talent like Fred Taylor or Maurice Jones-Drew, though, and it could be quite a while before another one like them emerges again.

Running back legends

According to @AcccountStat on X, Taylor and MJD are two of the top-18 most elusive players that have ever graced an NFL field. This was calculated using PFF's data on each player's yards after contact and missed tackles forced.

Taylor clocked in at eighth throughout his three-year run between 2006 and 2008, while MJD's 2009-2011 stretch placed him at 18th. Seeing their names among other all-time greats such as Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, and DeAngelo Williams is a great reminder of how special Taylor and Jones-Drew were for the Jaguars, shooting out of the backfield.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @JaguarsOnSI and @_John_Shipley and reminisce with us on Fred Taylor and MDJ's greatness.

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