What You Need to Know:

• Robinson was 1 of the biggest surprises of 2020, ranking 6th league-wide in both carries (240) and rushing yards (1,070).
• And that was despite missing the final 2 games with an ankle injury.
• Robinson scored 7 rushing TDs and added a 49-344-3 receiving line on 60 targets.
• He finished 7th at his position in PPR points and 8th in non-PPR.
• Robinson was 1 of the busiest backs in the league last season. He ranked …
  • 8th in snaps
  • 6th in carries
  • 11th in targets
  • 6th in opportunities (carries + targets)
• Robinson was just average in most efficiency metrics. Among 47 RBs with 100+ carries last year, he ranked …
  • 33rd in avoided tackles per attempt
  • 12th in yards after contact per attempt
  • 16th in Pro Football Focus rushing grade
  • 26th in Football Outsiders’ DVOA
• Robinson went undrafted last year coming out of Illinois State.
• Jacksonville’s new coaching staff -- headed by HC Urban Meyer and OC Darrell Bevell -- has no ties to Robinson. GM Trent Baalke was with the team last year but was only the director of pro personnel working under then-GM David Caldwell.
• This offseason, the Jaguars signed free-agent RB Carlos Hyde and spent the 25th overall pick of the draft on RB Travis Etienne.
  • Hyde played his final 2 seasons at Ohio State under Meyer, totaling 2,491 yards and 31 TDs on 393 carries.
  • It’s unclear exactly how the Jags plan to deploy Etienne. Meyer has talked up his versatility, while comparing him to Percy Harvin, Parris Campbell and Curtis Samuel, 3 guys Meyer coached in college. Etienne practiced exclusively at WR in rookie minicamp.
  • Here’s what Meyer said about his backfield right after the draft: “I see Carlos [Hyde] and James [Robinson] the 1-2, downhill, powerful running backs. And I see Travis [Etienne] -- there's times where we could be in two-backs and Travis is a guy that goes out [wide]. Or we're still playing with it, but he's certainly a third-down back and he's a guy that's a matchup issue for the defense.”
• Rookie Trevor Lawrence is a much-needed QB upgrade for the Jags and should boost the entire offense.
• Jacksonville returns all 5 starters from an offensive line that ranked 25th in Pro Football Focus’ run-blocking grades but 11th in adjusted line yards last year. OTs Cam Robinson and Jawaan Taylor are 25 and 23 years old, respectively, and capable of taking step forwards in 2021.

Draft Sharks Bottom Line:

Robinson was a fantasy revelation as a rookie last year, he ranked 8th among RBs in snaps, 6th in carries and 11th in targets. Robinson turned that volume into a RB7 finish in PPR points and RB8 in non-PPR.

That volume is in serious jeopardy in 2021, though, after Jacksonville brought in a new coaching staff and RBs Travis Etienne and Carlos Hyde. Robinson’s touches will decline this season. The question is by how much.

Exactly how this backfield will operate will be 1 of the biggest fantasy storylines of the summer.