Travis Etienne hasn’t been talked about much

There has been very little talk about former Clemson running back Travis Etienne.

As we inch closer to the 2021 NFL Draft, there has been very minimal talk in regards to the guy that owns every Clemson football rushing record, Travis Etienne.

Coming into the 2020 season, Etienne was seen as a Top 3 running back selection for this upcoming draft and while that is still the case, it seems like the closer we get the less and less his name is being floated around as the top running back in the draft.

Alabama running back Najee Harris seems to be the flavor of choice this month as he is seen a better combination of size and speed. The recent success of former Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry has really elevated the draft stock of Harris.

Travis Etienne has nothing to worry about.

Regardless of where Travis Etienne hears his name called, he is going to be an NFL success. That said, don’t be shocked if he falls to Day 2 of the NFL draft, not because he isn’t a first-round talent but rather because running backs are no longer deemed high priority by NFL teams.

In the last three NFL drafts, just five running backs were selected in the first round – and three of them, Saquon Barkley, Rashaad Penny, and Sony Michel were taken in the 2018 NFL draft. Other than 2019 first-round NFL running back Josh Jacobs, none of those five have lived up to being a first-round pick.

While this has nothing to do with Travis Etienne as an individual, teams will drop running backs out of the first round for this reason.

No doubt that the ACC’s all-time leading rusher is the most talented running back in the draft class and the four years of film speaks for itself. Not having the NFL combine in 2021 hurt Etienne more so than it did Harris. Clemson football’s upcoming pro day will be very important to Etienne’s draft board placement.

With Trevor Lawrence already having his own pro-day before his shoulder surgery, all eyes will be on Travis as NFL scouts, coaches, and general managers are going to want to see if he can show them the same characteristics in person that they see on film.

The upside to falling to the end of the first round or early second round is he has a better chance to land with a better team or situation than if he went at the top of the first round.

Ideally, for Travis, he falls to the Top 5 picks of round two where a team like the Atlanta Falcons have pick number four and he would be able to play for an offensive mind like Arthur Smith and around guys like Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, as well as former Clemson stars Grady Jarrett and AJ Terrell.