Travis Etienne

New Orleans Saints·#3OVERPAID

Pos RBHt 5'10"Wt 215 lbExp 5 yrCollege Clemson

Updated October 12, 2026

Compare Travis Etienne RB rankings →

Model Score

87.2 MODEL

2022

89.0

2023

94.2

2024

76.9

2025

87.2

2026

87.2

How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →

STM Take

The 2025 #25 (tier 7) is a real bounce from 2024's #57 (tier 8) but is still below the 2023 #23 (tier 6) baseline. The 22.6 PPR spike in Wk 19 shows the ceiling is still there when he gets the workload, but the 0-0-0 weeks across Wks 16-18 (in the duplicate game-log rows) tell you the floor depends entirely on game script and Bigsby's absence. He is what he has always been: a volume-and-explosion back who needs touches to matter.

Etienne came out of Clemson as Jacksonville's 1st-round pick (25th overall) in 2021 after a college career that produced the ACC's all-time rushing touchdown record. He missed his entire rookie season with a Lisfranc fracture in preseason, then made the 2022 Pro Bowl with 1,125 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns. The 2023 season was his second straight 1,000-yard year (1,008 rushing yards), but his 2024 workload collapsed when Tank Bigsby took the goal-line and short-yardage role. His 2025 rebound came with Bigsby traded to Philadelphia and Etienne back as the lead back.

Strengths

2022 Pro Bowl season with 1,125 rushing yards plus 1,008 rushing yards in 2023 is a real two-year sample of starter-grade production. His 5.1 career yards per carry mark him as a genuine home-run back.
Bigsby's midseason trade to Philadelphia reopened the lead role; Wk 19's 22.6 PPR spike shows the explosive ceiling is intact at age 26.

Concerns

The 2024 collapse (#57, tier 8) and the inconsistent 2025 game log (multiple sub-5 PPR weeks even after Bigsby left) show his floor is fragile when game script turns against the Jaguars.
Career receiving production has plateaued at roughly 35-50 catches per year, so his three-down ceiling is capped relative to elite backs like Bijan Robinson or McCaffrey.

What to watch: Whether Jacksonville's 2026 offensive identity centers on Etienne carries (target 250+) or shifts toward a committee with Bhayshul Tuten and incoming backfield additions.

Comps

Overall match

size, testing and production, same career stage

Jonathan Stewart ’1266%Devontae Booker ’2166%Joseph Addai ’1064%

Famous comp

names you know, same point in their careers (around year 6)

Tony Richardson ’0076%Chuba Hubbard ’2573%LaMont Jordan ’0773%

Plays like

on-field production only

Felix Jones ’1183%Mewelde Moore ’0583%Wayne Gallman ’1782%

Built like

measurables only, his size

Chase Brown88%DJ Giddens86%Correll Buckhalter84%

Coming out

pros whose college production, size and testing looked like his

Rashard Mendenhall ’0881%Dalvin Cook ’1771%Elijah McGuire ’1770%

Of his 20 closest coming out: 6 stars, 5 starters, 8 backups, 1 didn't stick.

Travis Etienne Injury StatusIR

Travis Etienne is listed on injured reserve (Hamstring), reported Oct 1, with a return date of Nov 8. Source: the official NFL injury report, refreshed daily.