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One of the top offensive talents in the 2021 NFL Draft Class may officially have to start his career a bit late.
Jacksonville Jaguars first-round pick Travis Etienne Jr. likely suffered a sprained foot in a preseason game against the New Orleans Saints, head coach Urban Meyer said via NFL.com .
ESPN’s Adam Schefter later reported that Etienne was in a walking boot and will be out indefinitely with a sprained midfoot.
Etienne will undergo further tests on Tuesday.
The Jaguars reigned over Etienne questionable to come back with a foot injury during the match. He finished with a reach for 1 yard and a catch on a target for 3 yards, having posted just one reach in his first preseason game last week.
It is unclear when the ball carrier will return.
Travis Etienne’s prospects get even darker
Etienne’s adjustment with the Jaguars seemed to make immediate sense on draft night, mainly because he would find himself returning to the top pick in the overall standings and his Clemson teammate Trevor Lawrence, with whom Etienne won three ACC championships and the playoffs. college football tournament 2018-19.
What made less sense, however, was that the Jaguars were using a first-round pick – already seen by many as an ineffective draft tactic – when they already had James Robinson, who rushed for 1,070 yards and seven touchdowns as an undrafted rookie last year. The Jaguars also had veteran running back Carlos Hyde on board, as well as specialist Dare Ogunbowale.
Etienne’s talent may be superior to any of those names, but adding him to a room that already had a player like Robinson, who looked a lot like a quality start last year, when the team had already so many other needs (see: his offensive line performance on Monday), looked like questionable decision-making.
Meyer answered a few questions and raised many more when he revealed Etienne would work as a wide receiver during the minicamp. The idea of Etienne working as a full-back H, a position Meyer was known to prioritize, made sense, but further muddied the waters of the Jaguars offensive. The Jaguars also already had a seemingly suited player for the position in Laviska Shenault, who racked up 691 yards of scrimmage last year and is built as a running back at 6-1, 226 pounds.
Even for a potentially elitist talent, it all makes for a crowded entrance. And now Etienne may not be on the pitch at all in the first week. We will have to wait and see when he returns. And or.
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