30 Day Challenge: All-Time Favorite Jaguars Running Back

The Jacksonville Jaguars are back to investing a lot of resources in the running back position. The days of getting by with Toby Gerhart, T.J. Yeldon, and Denard Robinson are over. Now there’s No. 4 overall pick Leonard Fournette and Chris Ivory as the one-two punch in Jacksonville with former starter Yeldon on the outside looking in.

That got me thinking — who’s the best running back in Jaguars history? The franchise certainly experienced a lot of success when they put a premium on the running back position, what with the late 90’s teams anchored by Fred Taylor and James Stewart and then the mid-2000’s led by Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor.

Taylor had the more productive career and was a part of both of the greatest times in franchise history. He got off to a fast start in 1998 — ending his rookie season with 1,223 rushing yards, 421 receiving yards, and 17 total touchdowns — and didn’t show signs of slowing down until he’d been in the league for over a decade. His speed, agility, jukes, and toughness make him the most productive running back in franchise history, ending his career in Jacksonville with 13,632 yards and 70 total touchdowns.

Jones-Drew was a human cannonball (and highlight reel). Dubbed Pocket Hercules by Rich Eisen of the NFL Network, Jones-Drew was a triple-threat — running, receiving, and returning kicks. He gained 13,277 all-purpose yards in his eight-year career with the Jaguars and single-handed carried the team during the Blaine Gabbert Era, winning the NFL Rushing Title in 2011 with 1,606 yards on the ground.

For me, Taylor was my favorite running back. He helped carry this team in the early years when I was in middle school and high school. My first Jaguars jersey was a Fred Taylor jersey. His 1999 playoff game against the Miami Dolphins is probably the most impressive single-game performance I’ve ever seen by a running back.

But if you say Jones-Drew, no one’s going to judge you.