Jags first-round pick Travis Etienne to practice as a WR at mini-camp

Trevor Lawrence wasn’t the only first-round rookie to take the field for the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday and Saturday as he was joined by Clemson teammate and No. 25 overall pick Travis Etienne. The only difference this time around was the fact that Lawrence is witnessing his good friend line up as a wide out his weekend as coach Urban Meyer wants to develop Etienne’s receiving skills.

“At the worst-case scenario, you have a running back with the skill set of a wide receiver,” Meyer said to the media Saturday. “Best-case scenario you’ll have a hybrid player who does both and that’s what we’re hoping to develop out of Travis.”

This decision comes as Meyer and the Jags said they view Etienne as a “slash” player after drafting him. With James Robinson on the roster, Etienne’s selection initially confused a lot of fans, but it didn’t take long to find out he’s be getting a good look as a receiver and was viewed as a player who could even be on the field with Robinson on certain plays.

The Jags interest in Etienne makes a lot of sense when looking at his skill set and explosiveness on the collegiate level. In his last two years he registered 432 and 588 receiving yards, respectively, while adding six touchdown catches to his already impressive résumé as a rusher.

When asked about his transition Saturday, Etienne stated that he’s been known of the team’s plans and is perfectly fine with them.

“Coach informed me that the very next day after I got drafted,” Etienne said. “When I came out here, he brought me into a room, asked me how I felt about it, and I feel great about it. I feel like it’s going to help me maximize my opportunity, maximize my skillset, so I feel like Coach knows what he’s doing. He’s doing what’s best for the team and I feel like it’s going to work out really well.”

Only time will tell where the Jags will give Etienne reps after mini-camp as he put up absurd numbers at Clemson as a running back and is viewed as the ACC’s best rusher by many. However, with offensive minds like Meyer, Darrell Bevell, and Brian Schottenheimer on the coaching staff, fans should feel like Etienne is in good hands in Jacksonville.