Travis Etienne 2021 NFL Draft Overview
Position: Running Back
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 205 pounds
School: Clemson University
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2021 NFL Draft: Travis Etienne Player Profile
Travis Etienne, the former teammate of Trevor Lawrence, who is expected to be drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the first overall pick in this year’s draft, was highly recruited out of the state of Louisiana, and rightfully so. He was ESPN’s 114th-ranked overall prospect and the 13th-ranked running back prospect. He ultimately decided to join the Clemson Tigers and was their final commitment for their 2017 class.
In just his freshman year at Clemson, Travis Etienne had 107 carries for 766 yards and 13 touchdowns. In four seasons at Clemson, Etienne had 686 carries for 4,952 yards (7.2 yards per carry) and 70 rushing touchdowns along with 102 receptions for 1,155 yards and eight receiving touchdowns. Overall, Etienne had 788 touches for 6,107 scrimmage yards and 78 touchdowns at the college level.
When Etienne decided to return to Clemson for his senior year it was somewhat surprising given his draft stock at the time. But he returned to Clemson in large part to further develop his pass catching skills. And he was able to drastically improve in that area so his decision to return for a fourth year will most likely benefit him in the long run. He also ended up breaking the NCAA record for the most games with at least one touchdown (46) and he leaves Clemson as the ACC’s all-time leading rusher. In addition, his 65 career touchdowns while with the Tigers are the most in school history (excluding quarterbacks).
Strengths
- Great burst and acceleration
- Elite speed and acceleration; he hits a second gear in the open field
- Incredible straight-line explosiveness
- Strong lower body
- Excels in space
- Great contact balance
- Good agility
- Elite cutting ability
- Much improved pass catching skills
Weaknesses
- Vision and patience could improve; he needs to allow holes to open
- Upper body is not as strong or dense as his lower body
- Some fumble issues
- Pass protection technique
NFL Comparison: Alvin Kamara
Teams With Need at Position: Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets
Projection: First (mid to late) or second round
Bottom Line on Travis Etienne
Etienne was both a two-time offensive ACC Player of the Year and two-time ACC Overall Player of the year. He was also named first-team all ACC three times. Just about any of the 32 NFL teams would get better by adding him in the draft his year. There are some areas in which he needs to improve, but those are largely coachable. His athleticism and dual-threat ability are in demand at the NFL level and if he winds up being as productive as Kamara the team that drafts him will be extremely happy. There some talented backs in the draft this year, including Najee Harris (Alabama) and Chuba Hubbard (Oklahoma State), but Etienne is the most talented of the group. He will also most likely end up being a good fantasy football play starting in 2021.
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