Losing Travis Etienne hurts the Jaguars, but they can survive without him

The Jaguars received terrible news on Tuesday when they found out rookie running back Travis Etienne would miss the season with a foot injury. Etienne was selected by the Jaguars in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft and poised to have a large role as a versatile weapon this weapon this season.

The Jaguars don’t have anyone on the roster that can replicate his speed and ability to rip off chunks of yards in the blink of an eye, but they still have one of the best running backs in the league from 2020: second year back James Robinson.

Robinson came out of nowhere as an undrafted free agent in 2020, rushing for 1070 yards, generating 344 receiving yards, and scoring 10 total touchdowns.

Robinson was already going to be a big part of the Jaguars offense regardless, but now he’s locked in for another heavy workload with Etienne gone until 2022. Jacksonville would obviously love to have both on the field this season, especially considering their plans for Etienne as a receiver, but Robinson is a certified stud who will allow them to lean on the ground game as Trevor Lawrence continues to get acclimated in the NFL.

Robinson doesn’t have the speed that Urban Meyer has become infatuated with during his coaching career, but he’s a big, steady back that can keep their running game effective.

Like most running games, the quality of the Jaguars’ offensive line will dictate their success, but their actual talent at running back will be fine even though Etienne is done for the year.