The Jacksonville Jaguars made a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles to move up three spots in the fifth round of this week’s draft to add some depth to their offense with pick No. 154. They ended up selecting Ole Miss running back Snoop Conner with the pick, making him the fifth member of the Jags 2022 draft class. In exchange, they gave up two of their sixth-round picks in No. 188 and No. 198.
They also still held the No. 157 pick but sent that one and their seventh-round pick at No. 235 in exchange for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ fourth-round selection next season. That left the Jags with two picks in this year’s draft, which were selections No. 197 and No. 222.
It’s not surprising to see the Jaguars take a running back on Day 3 since their top-2 running backs James Robinson and Travis Etienne are coming off of season-ending injuries. Etienne was Jacksonville’s second first-round pick in 2021 and suffered a Lisfranc injury during rookie minicamp. Robinson suffered a torn Achilles on Dec. 26 versus the New York Jets.
Coach Doug Pederson said Etienne should take part in workouts this offseason while Robinson won’t be ready until the start of training camp. That said, Conner could get a decent amount of practice snaps in as the Jags should ease Robinson back into the mix.
He played three seasons with the Rebels, tallying 1,580 career rushing yards and 26 touchdowns on 304 carries. In Conner’s final season, he racked up 647 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns and averaged five yards per carry. He also caught 14 passes for 82 yards.
NFL.com says Conner is a violent runner but doesn’t allow that mindset to prevent him from seeking out less-trafficked pathways with his vision. He had a poor showing at the NFL scouting combine but still has three-down talent and projects as a good committee back.
The Jaguars got a good pickup in Conner who will bring a physical skillset to their running back rotation.
