5 Breakout star candidates for the 2022 NFL season
No. 1 NFL Breakout Star: Travis Etienne – RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
. Travis Etienne, RB. 1. player. 52. .
My #1 breakout for 2022 shares a little in common with all the above.
Travis Etienne’s rookie season was over before it even began, suffering a Lis franc injury in camp.
Maybe this was for the best considering what a mess Urban Meyer made of his foray into NFL football.
Jacksonville had little to celebrate last season but gaining a fully healthy skill player like this is like having an additional 1st round pick this year.
James Robinson is still recovering from his Achilles injury suffered late in 2021, so I would expect Etienne to have even more of a role under Doug Pederson than the “slash” role Meyer had envisioned.
To be clear, he is a great pass-catching option and has recently said himself he would like to keep that “Deebo Samuel” styled role.
With little competition, he should dominate the touches early on and if he does well, that should secure his role for the rest of the way.
I know it sounds funny but the Jaguars aren’t as bad as their record showed last season. It’s probably unfair to blame all their problems on Urban Meyer, but a change in culture can do a lot for a team.
For Etienne, the opportunity to make a name for himself is there. The role in the offense is there. He is on a team in need of playmakers.
Playing with his former college QB, and for a player-friendly coach, and a pretty easy schedule- there’s a lot to like here.