The Jacksonville Jaguars added two new running backs in the 2025 NFL Draft, selecting Virginia Tech RB Bhayshul Tuten with their No. 104 pick in the fourth round and Syracuse RB LeQuint Allen Jr. with the No. 236 pick in the seventh round.
With Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne Jr. already on the roster, here’s a look at the Jaguars’ current running back depth chart.
Jacksonville Jaguars Select 2 RBs in 2025 NFL Draft
With Bigsby turning heads in 2024, running back seemingly wasn’t at the top of Jacksonville’s needs list. However, the Jaguars’ new regime clearly wanted to upgrade their running back room and bring in some of their own guys, as evidenced by the fact that they spent two picks on the position in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Etienne took a step back in 2024 and Bigsby isn’t a star, so adding reinforcements makes sense. Let’s examine each of Jacksonville’s RB options entering the 2025 season.
Tank Bigsby
There was a house cleaning in Jacksonville, and Etienne has only taken a step back since his solid rookie season. Meanwhile, Bigsby averaged more yards per carry (4.6) than Etienne (3.7).
The stage is set for the new Jaguars head coach and Tampa Bay Buccaneers transplant Liam Coen, who helped Bucky Irving become an ascending star, to help Bigsby take his game to the next level in Jacksonville. Bigsby is the presumed starter after rushing for 766 yards and seven touchdowns last season.
Travis Etienne Jr.
While Etienne has struggled as of late, it would be a tough pill for the running back to swallow to be kicked back to third string behind a fourth-round rookie.
However, if Etienne struggles in the preseason, Tuten can and will take Etienne’s job.
The 26-year-old rushed for just 558 yards and two touchdowns last season, with a dreadful 3.7 yards-per-carry average. He also totaled a career-low 254 receiving yards and zero scores through the air.
He has already been demoted once, losing the starting job to Bigsby. Now, with two new rookies coming in, Etienne is in trouble if he doesn’t return to form.
Bhayshul Tuten
Tuten played just two seasons in college, but he exploded in that brief time. The running back jumped from an already solid 5.0 yards per carry in 2023 to 6.3 yards per carry in 2024. Across the two seasons, he totaled 29 touchdowns.
No running back in the 2025 class has more juice than Tuten. He is a 5’9″, 206-pound bowling ball with 4.32 speed and an instant turbo button in space. Interestingly, Tuten has drawn comparisons to Irving, so Coen may try to use him similarly.
Tuten could have an edge over Bigsby and Etienne when it comes to the starting job since he was handpicked by the current regime, whereas the others were inherited.
LeQuint Allen Jr.
The Jaguars selected the Syracuse RB in the seventh round, so it remains to be seen if he’ll have a role (or even make the team). It was somewhat surprising that the 6’0″, 204-pound running back fell so far, as some draft experts predicted that he would be selected as a mid-round pick (in Round 4 or 5).
As a senior, Allen rushed for 1,021 yards and 16 touchdowns on 4.5 yards per carry, while also catching 64 passes for 521 yards and four scores through the air. He finished his three-year collegiate career with 2,359 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns on 4.6 yards per carry, plus 119 receptions, 848 receiving yards, and six receiving touchdowns.
Put simply, the position battle between these four RBs will be very interesting to watch throughout the preseason.
