There weren’t many bright spots in Jacksonville’s 1-15 season in 2020, but there was one that’s pretty difficult to ignore. Running back James Robinson came out of nowhere as an undrafted rookie to become the team’s starter at the position, and it seems the Jags landed a diamond in the rough.
Robinson was excellent in 2020, finishing tied for fifth in the NFL in rushing with 1,070 yards despite only playing in the first 14 games. The Illinois State product was also a workhorse, leading the league in carry percentage with 86% of the Jaguars’ carries. That likely won’t be sustainable in the long-term.
That’s why it isn’t surprising that coach Urban Meyer spoke of the importance of building around Robinson this week.
“Running back, James [Robinson], we feel pretty good about him,” Meyer said. “He had a good year, so we want to build a room with him being an integral part of it.”
This would seem to confirm that Robinson fits into the team’s plans as the lead back heading into 2021, but it also hints that the team is looking to add players at the position. That wouldn’t be a bad idea, considering the team’s second-leading rusher in 2020 was quarterback Gardner Minshew.
After moving on from Leonard Fournette, the answer at running back seems to have fallen into Jacksonville’s lap. The question now is can they build a successful offense around him with quarterback Trevor Lawrence likely coming to town.
