While there were a select few that saw it coming, most Jacksonville Jaguars fans were shocked by the selection of Travis Etienne with pick No. 1. Those same fans eventually came to like the pick and understand it more after the team reiterated that they wanted to make the offense as explosive as possible with fast weapons and playmakers.
Etienne himself was a little shocked by the pick, though he was hoping he’d end up with his former teammate Trevor Lawrence after the Pittsburgh Steelers passed on him and took running back Najee Harris. However, despite the intrigue with rejoining Lawrence, he revealed that he thought the Buffalo Bills were going to be the ones to call him that Thursday night in the latest episode of the Jags’ offseason documentary show called “The Hunt.”
“I knew it could happen [going to the Jags], but I was thinking I was going 30 to the Bills,” Etienne said.
This makes a lot of sense as ESPN’s Todd McShay reported that the Bills had interest in making a move up from pick No. 30 for a running back last month.
“The last bit of buzz for you, Travis Etienne is the hottest running back in this class right now in terms of where his draft stock is going to be. I’m told that Buffalo at 30 is talking to teams ahead of the Jets at 23 and Jacksonville at 25 and going ahead of Pittsburgh as well trying to get in position to get Etienne,” McShay said via the Ryen Russilo podcast. “They think that he’s the best back. They want to pair him up obviously with Josh Allen and create that backfield.”
Obviously, the Bills weren’t able to get anything done and the Jags and Urban Meyer got a player they liked. Now with the Atlantic Coast Conference all-time rushing leader (he had 4,952 total rushing yards) in Jacksonville, the Jags have a variety of weapons for Lawrence to utilize as a rookie, which could make the unit a dark horse group in 2021.