PFF suggests Jaguars sign former Pro Bowl running back
· Yahoo Sports
The Jacksonville Jaguars draft strategy has not left many analysts impressed, and while many have pointed to the pass rush as the team's biggest need, others have argued running back is more dire.
Jacksonville lost star running back Travis Etienne to free agency, leaving Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez, and LeQuint Allen to fill his shoes, with Ja'Quinden Jackson and DeeJay Dallas providing further depth on the roster. Still, there are many who don't see them as worthy replacements and have argued that running back is a major need for the Jaguars.
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Now, with the draft concluded, Pro Football Focus has named Jacksonville as the team with the biggest need at running back, with Bradley Locker offering a harsh critique of the offseason strategy and the Jaguars' current status in the RB room.
"The Jaguars compiled an unconventional draft class, seemingly ignoring both consensus value as well as their overarching team needs," Locker wrote. "In particular, Jacksonville’s running back room is the unit that may have suffered the most by not drafting an impact player. As currently built, Liam Coen will rely on a true committee approach in 2026 with three unproven names. With several veterans still available, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Jaguars pick up an impact player to raise the room’s floor."
To that end, Locker had a solution in another article, offering ideal landing spots for the 10 best free agents still available. For the Jaguars, he suggested Najee Harris.
"Before suffering an Achilles tear in Week 3, Harris had compiled a career-high 83.9 PFF rushing grade with 3.67 yards after contact per attempt across 15 carries for the Chargers," Locker wrote. "While those numbers may be inflated by a disproportionately small sample size, Harris played to at least a 75.2 rushing grade with 51-plus missed tackles forced every season from 2022-24," he wrote. "In a group where Chris Rodriguez Jr., LeQuint Allen and Bhayshul Tuten are currently slated to split carries, the 28-year-old Harris could emerge as a low-cost bell cow."
As mentioned, Harris is recovering from surgery to repair an Achilles tear. But prior to that injury, he had an impressive, albeit not flashy, career. He garnered a reputation for himself as a workhorse, racking up 1,000-yard seasons in all four years he had been in the NFL before his fifth season was cut short by injury. He was also a good pass blocker, and as mentioned by Locker, was good at forcing missed tackles.
Harris isn't an elite-level running back, but he would be an asset to the Jaguars roster, and given that he's coming off an injury, could well be available at a lower price. While the running back situation is not as dire as Locker makes it sound, it still wouldn't be a bad idea to bring Harris on, if for no other reason than to provide more competition through training camp and the preseason.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: PFF calls RB Jaguars’ top need, links team to Najee Harris