Don't Expect An Ezekiel Elliott-Like Impact From Leonard Fournette
Leonard Fournette is a huge upgrade at running back for the Jaguars, but SportsLine projections indicate that he won't have anywhere near the impact on Jacksonville's win-loss record that fellow No. 4 overall pick Ezekiel Elliott did for Dallas last year.
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For the second consecutive year, a team bucked the recent trend of ignoring running backs in the early portion of the NFL Draft.
Last year, it was the Dallas Cowboys investing the No. 4 overall pick in Ezekiel Elliott, and this year the Jacksonville Jaguars used the same slot to add Leonard Fournette.
It paid off for Dallas. Elliott garnered All-Pro honors after racking up 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns, helping lead the Cowboys to a 13-3 mark after finishing 4-12 in 2015.
But while Fournette brings as much, if not more, physical upside as Elliott, don't count on a similar impact.
Picking Fournette only increased SportsLine's season win projection for the Jaguars from 7.1 to 7.2.
The Jags' overall playoff odds jumped up slightly from 20.9 percent to 22.4 percent.Â
Fournette is a clear upgrade over options such as T.J. Yeldon and Chris Ivory, but he doesn't enjoy the same luxuries that Elliott did.
SportsLine projects Fournette to carry the ball 243 times for 1,125 yards and seven touchdowns in 2017. But unless Blake Bortles or Brandon Allen has a Dak Prescott-like breakout year, Fournette's production won't mask the deficiencies at quarterback.
And without an elite offensive line like Elliott enjoyed, Fournette should struggle to put up comparable numbers. He also won't have the same room to operate that he had at LSU. That could lead to underwhelming productivity for a back who plays at his best when he's running downhill.
In an AFC South where Andrew Luck is looming, the Titans found perimeter weapons for Marcus Mariota and the Texans might have found their franchise quarterback, Fournette's impact on Jacksonville's win-loss record very well could end up being negligible in 2017.
