The Jacksonville Jaguars’ decision to move on from Travis Etienne has drawn plenty of second-guessing this offseason, but ESPN’s latest running back rankings offer James Gladstone a little breathing room.
ESPN’s annual list, compiled from scouts, coaches and executives, has reached the running back spot, and Etienne lands in the “also receiving votes” group at No. 14 through No. 20.
He’s grouped with D’Andre Swift, Javonte Williams, Chase Brown, Ashton Jeanty, TreVeyon Henderson and Alvin Kamara. That placement doesn’t put him among the position’s elite, even if he remains a productive player who was one of the biggest names to hit free agency.
The Jaguars’ current backfield doesn’t show up on the list at all. Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez Jr, and LeQuint Allen are all absent, which leaves Jacksonville without a runner in ESPN’s top tiers or even its honorable mentions. That said, the rankings still create an interesting backdrop for the Etienne debate.
New Orleans handed Etienne a four-year, $48 million deal after his career-year in 2025, a contract that sits among the highest for running backs in the NFL. Jacksonville, meanwhile, is set to receive a fifth-round compensatory pick for letting him walk and is not spending anywhere near that kind of money at the position this season.
That’s the heart of Gladstone’s case. The Jaguars chose cheaper options, betting that Tuten, Rodriguez and Allen can help replace what Etienne brought without the premium price tag. Whether that works out will come down to what those three do once Week 1 arrives.
Etienne was one of Jacksonville’s most productive players a year ago, and his departure has become a frequent talking point whenever people size up the Jaguars’ offseason. But the front office has also been able to extend players who could eventually find their way onto lists like this, including tight end Brenton Strange and defensive end Travon Walker.
The other piece of the equation is simple: Jacksonville needs more from its run game after it struggled down the stretch in 2025. The Jaguars could have matched the Saints’ aggressive approach, but instead they went with a more cost-controlled path and trusted their internal options.
If Gladstone turns out to be right, it will be a major win for the new regime. Etienne fit perfectly in Coen’s screen game and the way he likes to attack the perimeter, and now the Jaguars are asking Tuten to step into that role.
Nobody is saying Jacksonville needs Rodriguez or Tuten to be Etienne this season. But for now, the rankings suggest the Jaguars may be closer to vindication than critics want to admit.
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