Clemson Football: 3 ideal landing spots for Travis Etienne in NFL draft

Running backs may not be valued in the NFL draft like they used to be but Clemson football’s Travis Etienne is special and here are three ideal fits. 

When it comes to the 2021 NFL draft and really, any NFL draft, the talks is always about the quarterbacks. But when it comes to immediate production, running backs are always a good bet and there might not be a better one this year than Clemson football‘s Travis Etienne.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Najee Harris too from Alabama and honestly, both are first-round picks in my opinion.

However, Etienne offers a little more as a receiver and as an explosive playmaker. We’ve seen the kind of impact guys like Alvin Kamara, Christian McCaffrey, Aaron Jones or even Clyde Edwards-Helaire, have had.

Some don’t project a running back to be selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft but I don’t agree with that assessment. I believe Etienne will go late first and here are three teams that should strongly consider taking him.

Steelers

The Steelers have been pretty open about getting a running back early in this draft and Pro Football Focus posted this about that with the idea of them taking Najee Harris.

https://twitter.com/PFF/status/1385579788736344064

When I saw this graphic, my first thought was honestly, how would anyone stop that offense with Etienne?

During his career, Etienne averaged 7.2 yards per rushing attempt and 11.3 yards per reception with 102 career receptions to show for it.

That’s impressive and even though he’s not a power back like Harris, he’s still 5-foot-10, 205 pounds. You can always find a big back but someone with Etienne’s ability is special.

A great running back can also be an aging quarterback’s best friend.