An undrafted free agent could find opportunity knocking in Jacksonville in 2026.
The Jacksonville Jaguars
had a major question to answer regarding one of their biggest names this offseason. And they answered it by effectively waving goodbye.
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RB Travis Etienne
left in free agency for the New Orleans Saints
. Suddenly the Jaguars had work to do to fill a hole in their backfield in March.
General manager James Gladstone addressed the position in free agency quickly. He inked former Washington Commanders RB Chris Rodriguez, Jr. to a two-year contract. That brought in another veteran presence to go with incumbents Bhayshul Tuten
and LeQuint Allen
, Jr., with Tuten appearing poised to take on the primary role in the backfield.
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However, despite Tuten’s speed and potential, there still felt like room to address the position further in the draft, which is something Gladstone didn’t do.
But he might have made a move after that helped address that oversight, and it’s one that Bleacher Report recently lauded. They put out their list of most exciting undrafted free agents for each team
, and Virginia RB J’Mari Taylor got the nod for the Jaguars.
Rookie UDFA RB J’Mari Taylor listed as Jaguars’ ‘most exciting’ undrafted free agent by Bleacher Report
“Taylor may not have elite traits, but he has shown that he can be a productive three-down player in the backfield, and the general belief was that he’d be selected in the first half of Day 3,” wrote Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report.
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“The Jaguars’ backfield is unsettled after Travis Etienne Jr. left in free agency-Taylor has a real chance to carve out a role in the offense.”
Our Ryan Roberts also previously tabbed Taylor as the undrafted free agent that the rest of the league overlooked
.
“From a raw talent perspective, there is nothing overly dynamic about Taylor's game. He wins based on his contact balance and effort as a runner. Taylor is never going to be a home run hitter, but he has enough spatial awareness and vision to consistently hit singles and doubles. Add in solid instincts as a pass receiver, and Taylor brings a solid all-around profile to become a solid member of a running back room.”
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The Jaguars don’t necessarily need a home run hitter, nor do they desperately need a pass catcher and/or a third down back either. Tuten should be able to carry the freight as the lead back, and Allen showed his third down skills last year in pass protection and has the upside to be a good receiving back.
They need someone who is well rounded and can help out in a number of ways. That’s something Taylor could handle. Last year for the Cavaliers, he rushed for 1062 yards and caught 52 passes on the way to 1335 all purpose yards.
If he can prove he’s not a liability in pass protection - an essential skill for a young player - and can make some plays this fall on special teams while ripping off a big play or two in the preseason, there’s a solid chance he could catch on at the back of the 53 man roster once the end of August has arrived.
