The Jacksonville Jaguars will put an emphasis on establishing the run to take some pressure off Trevor Lawrence. To make it happen, they beefed up the offensive trenches and also added Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen in the NFL Draft. The former appears to have a chance to earn the starting job in 2025, but he'll first need to overcome the biggest issue that plagued his collegiate career.
Tuten's 40-yard dash in 4.32 seconds was the fastest among running backs in the NFL Scouting Combine. His 40.5-inch vertical jump and his 1.49-second 10-yard split were also position bests. If that wasn't enough, he was a force at Virginia Tech, registering a combined 356 yards for 2,022 yards with 25 trips to the end zone.
So why wasn't Tuten drafted higher? He had trouble holding onto the football, registering a combined nine fumbles dating back to 2023. And on Day 1 of Jaguars organized team activities, he proved that it remains an issue, as the former Hokie lost the ball on his first rep of the day. The good news is that he has plenty of time to correct it. In fact, head coach Liam Coen doesn't think it's a reason for concern, pointing out that it's part of the learning process.
"I think you put the ball on the ground today, that's kind of stands out," Coen told the media on Day 1 of Jaguars OTAs when asked how Tuten is doing. "But I thought last week, as we were kind of getting more into the scheme, he was getting a little bit more comfortable. I thought he started to get a little bit more into it, had a couple better runs of feeling the zone and being able to stick his foot in the ground and accelerate.
Coen continued, "So, good learning experience. You know, first time in a live setting in the National Football League, on your first carry, hopefully you learn something from that moment. But I think all together, that room, that running back room, has done a nice job in terms of the competition, the acceleration, and the teaching for some of those young guys, and also the veterans doing a nice job of trying to help those guys out as well."
Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne surely entered OTAs and will go into training camp as the top running backs on the depth chart. Allen should also be in the mix, but like Tuten, he has a long way to go.
Why Bhayshul Tuten's fumble won't make the Jaguars fidgety
Of course, the Jacksonville Jaguars will want Bhayshul Tuten to do a better job of holding onto the ball, but it's too early to be concerned. Heck, Travis Etienne fumbled five times in 2022, but the coaching staff didn't fret and instead helped him correct the issue. The result? He's only lost one fumble in the past two years.
The Jags cannot just wave a magic hand and make Tuten stop fumbling. They were fully aware of the issue and will work with him to take care of it. The process takes time, but it shouldn't prevent him from eventually making a case for the starting job. Following the draft, it was reported that the team's brass isn't sold on either Etienne or Tank Bigsby, so they won't suddenly give up on Tuten.
But even if he comes up short, the pressure of having to fend him off could incentivize Etienne and Bigsby to improve. Either way, it looks like a win-win situation for the Jags.
Whether it's this year or next, though, the Jaguars are confident Bhayshul Tuten can be a playmaker.
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