Jacksonville Jaguars: UDFA RB James Robinson a potential hidden gem

Running back James Robinson could become a major UDFA steal for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Jacksonville Jaguars appear to be moving forward without running back Leonard Fournette in their long-term plans. The team declined the fifth-year option on the former fourth overall pick earlier this offseason has been looking for a team to trade for him. So far, no takers. Regardless, Fournette is unlikely to be in Jacksonville past the 2020 season and may not even make it that far.

With this being the case, most of us expected the Jags to address their running back situation in the 2020 NFL Draft. They were able to find plenty of exciting talent in the draft but surprisingly did not select a single player at the running back position.

However, the Jacksonville Jaguars did make the position a priority after the draft, signing three undrafted rookie running backs: Nate Cottrell out of Georgia Tech, Tavien Feaster out of South Carolina and James Robinson out of Illinois State. Out of these three undrafted running backs, Robinson has far and away the best chance to stick on the roster.

Through four years in college, Robinson absolutely dominated the FCS level, piling up 4,444 yards and 44 touchdowns on 797 career carries. He was a true workhorse at Illinois State and showed an impressive skillset to get excited about at the next level.

Robinson is a strong downhill runner who consistently keeps a low center of gravity. He has strong overall ball carrier vision and has enough quickness to get to nearly any hole. He changes directions well, maintains great balance through traffic and has a bit of elusiveness in the open field.

Robinson is also a tough runner who is always moving forward on contact and likes to finish as the aggressor. He has a nice combination of quickness and power that should play at the next level.

In the passing game, Robinson shows soft hands and some nice run after catch ability. He is never going to be an elite weapon in the passing game, but he is a reliable receiver out of the backfield. Robinson also shows impressive mental awareness as a pass protector and is not afraid to step up and put his body on the line to protect his quarterback.

It is unlikely that Robinson ever becomes a featured back at the next level, but he could quickly grow into a player who the Jacksonville Jaguars can rely on in a committee. Instead of spending valuable resources at the running back position, I like Jacksonville looking to find strong committee backs like Robinson at such a low cost.

Fournette is unlikely to be around for much longer and Robinson certainly has the talent to help fill that void at the running back position. Signing Robinson was undoubtedly a strong post-draft move by the Jaguars.