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Gene Frenette: Jaguars look for Keilan Robinson to pick up where Jamal Agnew left off
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- Gene Frenette: Jaguars look for Keilan Robinson to pick up where Jamal Agnew left off
The Jacksonville Jaguars ' pick from the 2024 NFL draft that many overlook envisions himself as a lot more than just a kick return weapon.
Keilan Robinson , a 5-foot-9, 191-pound speedster from Texas, was selected primarily as a special-teams demon, but also thinks he can do the Jamal Agnew thing and eventually become impactful for the offense, most likely as a third-down back.
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"Whether it be offense, punt return, kick return, gunner, corner, going to block kicks, I do a lot of things," Robinson said after Sunday's training camp practice at Miller Electric Center. "That's what ultimately got me here, being a multi-faceted player.
"There's certain things you got to do to get yourself in the door, but once you're in that door, it depends what you do afterwards. Every day, they tell me to do all kind of things and I'm down to do it."
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Keilan Robinson (31) catches a punt as cornerback Jarrian Jones (22) looks on during an organized team activity Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at EverBank Stadium’s Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla.
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Despite Robinson being slowed in camp by a toe injury, the Jaguars are counting on him to be an impactful return specialist, possibly more on kick returns in the early going.
Free agent acquisition Devin Duvernay , who has a 12.8-yard career punt return average and is a two-time Pro Bowler, projects as the clubhouse leader in that department.
Positive mindset about special-teams duty
But since Robinson was a Swiss Army knife on special teams at Texas, where he transferred after spending one season and one spring at Alabama, the Jaguars are trying the Washington D.C. native in every role imaginable with the special teams units.
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"The way I looked at it after not getting the ball a whole lot last year, there's either one of two ways you can go," said Robinson. "You can be an asshole [about limited playing time] or you can do whatever it takes to help your team win and get yourself where you want to be.
"I'm going to do whatever I got to do to get where I got to go, so I'm going to be the best special teamer in the country. That's what I ended up doing [at Texas], so I take a lot of pride in special teams. I'm helping coaches with game plans and stuff like that."
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Keilan Robinson (31) has the kind of electrifying speed that could make him highly valuable as a return specialist.
With Agnew departed, the Jaguars did more than pay lip-service to the return game. They signed Duvernay in March, then grabbed Robinson — he ran the fourth-fastest NFL combine 40 time (4.42 seconds) among running backs — for his overall special teams skills.
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Between his time at 'Bama and Texas, the 24-year-old Robinson has been around enough NFL talent to understand what he's up against trying to forge the biggest role possible with the Jaguars.
Robinson was in the same room with first-round picks Najee Harris ( Pittsburgh Steelers ) at 'Bama and Bijan Robinson ( Atlanta Falcons ) at Texas, as well as the Longhorns' Jonathan Brooks , a second-rounder taken by the Carolina Panthers this year.
For starters, the Jaguars are banking on him being as formidable a return guy as Agnew, though Robinson will have to adjust to the new NFL kickoff rules like everybody else.
"The part you got to get used to is, one, [kick coverage guys] are closer, they're not running at you from far away," Robinson said. "Two, no one else is moving until I catch the ball. Honestly, I like the fact they're closer because it's easier to make a bigger play. You make one or two guys miss and everybody's right there, you're out the gate.
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"I love how it takes the touchbacks out of the game. There's going to be a return every play."
Jaguars would love another Agnew
Robinson would love to emulate Agnew, who had a kick return touchdown of 102 yards and a missed field goal return of 109 yards for another TD in his three years (2021-23) in Jacksonville.
The Jaguars are taking a wait-and-see attitude about what Robinson might deliver as a third-down option.
"We do think he can be a weapon out of the backfield in the pass game and then figuring out what that looks like as a ball carrier, what types of runs he's good at, kind of where it falls in situations within a game of how we can use him," said Jaguars' offensive coordinator Press Taylor.
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"But the biggest thing, especially these guys that are offensive guys that play special teams, they have a jersey on game day, so we want to use everybody available to us. So, if they provide a value to us, we'll find a way to try to use them."
With Agnew's three-year, $14.25 million contract expiring after last season, it was logical the Jaguars would move on from the 29-year-old returner for younger, cheaper labor.
Jacksonville hasn't had an effective rookie return man since 2015 with fifth-round pick Rashad Greene , who averaged 16.7 yards on 18 punt returns. The receiver from Florida State quickly flamed out after that season.
If Keilan Robinson can just be another Agnew, the Jaguars will get more than enough value out of that fifth-round pick.
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Gfrenette@jacksonville.com : (904) 359-4540; Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @genefrenette
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars hope speedy Keilan Robinson pays off with impactful punt-kick returns
