JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Part of what makes Liam Coen’s offensive style so unique is his love for running backs in the pass game, whether out of the backfield or in pass-protection. It’s something the Jaguars clearly valued this offseason, targeting LeQuint Allen in the 2025 NFL Draft.
It’s also what led the Jaguars to be comfortable trading Tank Bigsby early on into the season.
He’s no doubt a solid runner, but Bigsby didn’t excel in the other areas that Coen likes to emphasize.
Instead, the Jaguars chose to roll with Travis Etienne, alongside rookies Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen as their running backs. With that said, their ability to pass block would be crucial after Etienne’s struggles in 2024 and the introduction of two rookies.
Luckily, Etienne understood the assignment as the team’s lead back in Coen’s offense and improved drastically in pass-protection. It’s yet another area where the Jaguars got so much better under the new staff.
In 2024, Etienne allowed 13 pressures, the second-most among running backs. His 86.4 Pass-Block Efficiency via Pro Football Focus ranked 54th among 55 qualifying backs.
Compare that to this season and it’s night and day for Etienne. He allowed just four pressures on the season, despite more snaps in pass-pro. His 97.4 Pass-Block Efficiency skyrocketed up to 6th among the top 72 running backs.
Not far behind Etienne is Jaguars’ rookie LeQuint Allen who’s really made a name for himself as one of the best, young blocking backs in the NFL. His nasty chips have gone viral as has his torpedo-like approach to special teams, forcing fumbles in the process.
As far as Allen’s numbers go in pass-protection, he allowed five pressures on 61 pass-block snaps. His 95.6 Pass-Block Efficiency ranked 14th among those same 72 running backs, though Allen’s prowess in pass-protection is very likely even better than these numbers might indicate.
Regardless, it’s certainly impressive for the rookie back.
With Etienne’s future in Jacksonville up in the air, Allen’s development, in addition to Tuten’s, could be even more important for the Jaguars moving forward. It certainly looks good for Tuten as a runner as well, ranking inside the Top-10 in avoided tackle rate.
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