2017 NFL Rookie Projections: Jacksonville Jaguars RB Leonard Fournette

Leonard Fournette was the No. 4 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars, and in Part 4 of a 32-part series, a look at his projections as a rookie.

The Jacksonville Jaguars got their bell-cow running back in Leonard Fournette with the fourth overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, a year after the Cowboys selected Ezekiel Elliott with the same pick. Considering this, the expectations for Fournette are very high. Some are even expecting Fournette to put up numbers similar to those of Elliott, who registered 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns on 322 carries.

That’s a stretch.

Don’t get me wrong, my expectations for Fournette are high due to the fact that the Jaguars drafted him with the fourth pick and guaranteed his full contract (worth $27 million, giving him the most guarantees of any running back in the NFL). However, Elliott was gifted with the best offensive line in the NFL in Dallas, and although he is a remarkable talent, his line did him wonders. He finished the season with more yards before contact than any back in the league.

Fournette hasn’t been gifted with a great, or even good, offensive line as Elliott was. Last year, the only player worth noting on the Jaguars offensive line was center Brandon Linder, and the team is unsure if he will even remain at center this year or move back to right guard.

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Neither left tackle Kelvin Beachum nor left guard Luke Joeckel were re-signed in the offseason, and returning starters A.J. Cann and Jermey Parnell have both performed at an average level at best.

The Jaguars traded for Dolphins left tackle Branden Albert and drafted Alabama left tackle Cam Robinson this year to help mend the offensive line. But with no set starter at pretty much any position besides right tackle in Parnell, I’m not confident in this Jaguars offensive line yet.

Looking into the future, I expect Cam Robinson to be a star at left tackle and for Brandon Linder to move back to right guard. That moves the shaky Cann to left guard, leaves a hole at center, and the near-31-year old Parnell at right tackle. Albert would likely fill in for Cann if he disappoints at left guard.

The bottom line is, the Jaguars offensive line is messy as it stands and will take time to mesh and will need more pieces added to it in the 2018 offseason. Robinson and Linder are centerpieces, but the other three spots remain sketchy.

This will undoubtedly hurt Fournette’s production going forward until the offensive line is straightened out. However, Fournette is a special breed of both speed and power, so he should still find some success as a rookie.

At 6-0, 240 pounds, Fournette ran a 4.51-second 40-yard dash. While that only ranks in the 65th percentile among NFL running backss, keep his weight (96th percentile) in mind when reading that. Running a 4.51s 40 at 240 pounds is incredible. In fact, it’s the fastest time any 240+ pound running back has run at the NFL Combine since 2003.

Next: NFL 2017: Ranking the top 30 tight ends

Leonard Fournette will certainly find success in his rookie season in my opinion, but to expect numbers similar to Ezekiel Elliott’s behind the Jaguars offensive line is a reach. I’m projecting 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns for the running back.