Jags surprise with Travis Etienne, Fantasy Impact

The Jacksonville Jaguars made a shocking second pick Thursday in the 2021 NFL Draft, selecting Clemson RB Travis Etienne with their second first-round pick of the draft.

(Check out the FTN Travis Etienne scouting report here.)

The pick comes as a surprise after the Jaguars had James Robinson put up a huge rookie year in 2020, finishing as the PPR RB7 as an undrafted rookie, but Etienne checks in as a potentially elite option himself after scoring 78 touchdowns in four years at Clemson. In Jacksonville, he’ll be reunited with his Clemson teammate Trevor Lawrence, who the Jaguars took at No. 1 overall.

(Follow along with every pick in the FTN Draft Tracker.)

The Jaguars dropped the biggest fantasy bombshell of the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft by selecting Etienne at No. 25 overall. Etienne joins former Clemson teammate Lawrence in Jacksonville, but his arrival blows up the exciting story of James Robinson, last year’s UDFA revelation and top-10 fantasy RB.

Etienne has the tools to be a three-down workhorse in the NFL and likely spells the end of Robinson as fantasy relevant, at least in Jacksonville. The worst-case scenario would be a split backfield, which is technically possible, but unlikely given that Etienne is a first-round pick.

Etienne was downright dominant in 2018 and 2019, rushing for over 1,600 yards both seasons and scoring over 23 total TDs both years while averaging about 8 yards per carry. In 2019, he ranked first in yards after contact per attempt (5.07). Clemson lost four offensive linemen in 2020, and Etienne rushing production took a hit as a result. However, his receiving work popped in 2020, as he caught 48 passes for 588 yards — both career highs — in 12 games.

If he takes full control of the offense and Robinson goes by the wayside, Etienne becomes a fantasy RB2 as a rookie with the potential for more if he’s used heavily as a receiver (similar to how Robinson put up top-10 numbers last year). — Tyler Loechner