Travis Etienne 2021 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Name: Travis Etienne 

Position: Running Back

College: Clemson

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 215 lbs

Overall Rank: No. 44 overall

Position Rank: RB3

Strengths: A legit burner with the best speed of the running back class in 2021, Etienne dominates on chunk plays and was an amazing scorer for the Tigers. A senior back, Etienne is the best in the class at producing long runs and scoring on big plays. He’s smart, poised, patient and was oftentimes the focal point of the offense despite playing with the No. 1 overall prospect (Trevor Lawrence) at quarterback. Etienne is a loose, athletic, agile runner with downhill speed and good urgency to his game. If given daylight, he will run away from defenders and is an angle buster. The combination of open field speed, vision and cutback ability makes Etienne very dangerous in the right scheme.

Weaknesses: Etienne played closer to 205 lbs and is a smaller back who may be scheme-specific in an outside zone scheme. He has struggled with ball security issues in the past. Etienne wasn’t a big part of the Clemson passing game until his final season and has inconsistent hands. He’s a smaller back who too often squares up defenders and presents a big strike zone as a tackler. Takes a lot of steps to gain few yards and must run with better tempo in his steps.

What I Love: “Angle buster” is my favorite line about Etienne. He makes safeties and linebackers look foolish with his speed in the open field. Teams who want that outside zone runner who can make one cut and hit paydirt will love Etienne’s style.

NFL Comparison: Dalvin Cook

Grade: 82/100

Position Specific Traits:
(key: +, ++, +++ positive scale | -, - -, - - - negative scale)

Agility: +++
Ball Security: --
Blocking: --
Contact Balance: +
Hands: -
Power: -
Speed: +++