The Jacksonville Jaguars are pinning a large portion of their offensive hopes in 2015 on rookie second-round running back T.J. Yeldon.
Yeldon enters a backfield situation for Jacksonville that already includes an overpaid former free agent, seemingly best suited for a fullback role, and an electrifying talent that brings big-play potential but hasn't played the position long enough for the Jags to know definitively whether he can handle more of the load on a full-time basis.
While Toby Gerhart will likely be relegated to spot duty and special teams and Denard Robinson brings a fair amount of lightning, Yeldon looks set to act as the thunder for a Jaguars offense looking to improve on a 31st-place finish in 2014.
While Yeldon has ample talents - talents which made him a high second-round pick - it seems, according to at least one NFL coach, that the Jags took the nimble ballcarrier a bit too early in late April.
"For being a creative back, he has no juice to get away from anyone. He's a rotational back. I wouldn't take him any sooner than the 5th (round) because you can find guys like that all over the place," an NFC running backs coach told Lance Zierlein of NFL.com.
Yeldon, 6-foot-1, 226-pounds, has great instincts and good foot quickness, meaning he's fast to identify the hole and athletic once he's there, but it's his lack of a break-away speed and inability to shake would-be tacklers that could ultimately hinder his NFL career.
Still, Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley said at the outset of Jacksonville's first week of OTAs this week that the team would renew their commitment to the run game as they attempt to ease young franchise quarterback Blake Bortles into his second season.
"There is a heavier emphasis in run game even in our individual (drills) using the garbage cans and things like that that are out there," Bradley said, via the team's official website. "I think the players would feel a stronger commitment to the run game."
Jags GM David Caldwell also showed that commitment to Bortles' development and the run game by adding three offensive lineman during the offseason - Stefen Wisniewski and Jermey Parnell in free agency and AJ Cann via the draft.
Of course, the NFL is the ultimate team sport, so as one element of the offense goes, so goes the other - if the running game struggles, Bortles will too-often be put in long third-down situations, potentially forcing him into difficult and often-times ill-advised decisions.
If Yeldon can prove the doubters wrong and take the lead in the Jags backfield though, not only will the Jacksonville running game look better, Bortles will benefit as well.
