2021 Draft Profile: Does Travis Etienne fit into Miami’s plans?

The Miami Dolphins could be turning towards offense in this year’s NFL Draft and Travis Etienne could be an option but where will he go?

An offensive revolution is on the horizon with this draft as the Dolphins will more than likely target skill positions early and often. Miami has a few players on the roster capable of playing effectively in the NFL, but they need more firepower to help Tua Tagovailoa take the next step in his game.

When it comes to the running game, Miami may have their pick of player at 18 overall or 36 overall, depending on how the board falls over the course of early round 1. Either Najee Harris or Travis Etienne could be great additions to this football team, but let’s take some time to cover the Clemson star.

Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson

2020 stats: 914 yards, 14 TDs, 48 rec, 588 rec yards (stats courtesy of ESPN.com)

Chances of the Dolphins taking him: 45%

Etienne has been the favorite to be the first running back taken in the 2021 draft for two years.

Unlike Najee Harris who runs with incredible power, Etienne is all about speed. He has game breaking speed and, whether he is taking a hand off or catching the ball out of the backfield, the end zone is always in his sights and being faster than everyone else on the field helps him get there. Behind Clemson’s quality offensive line, Etienne proved capable of dodging defensive lineman and linebackers to consistently get into the second level of opposing defenses.

He is a legitimate threat to take it to the house every time he touches the ball and Miami could benefit from his skill set.

Miami may have to choose between a thunder and lightning scenario at 18 if Najee Harris and Travis Etienne are available.

There are a few issues, however, with Etienne that I think are fair criticisms, especially within the context of Miami’s needs. First, he is a bit of a smaller back, unlike his Alabama counterpart. That wasn’t much of an issue against collegiate talent, but how will that small frame translate to the NFL when Etienne will be asked to pass block and will have to fight through smaller holes made by the offensive line? This might cause Miami to look elsewhere.

Another reason why I have the chances of the Dolphins taking him so low stems from what Miami has already in their running back room. The Dolphins already have smaller backs on the roster in Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed, both of which played well when healthy last year but, to be fair, neither of which have Etienne’s top end speed. Etienne’s build shouldn’t be a deterrent as he should be a pretty solid upgrade over Gaskin and Ahmed immediately. But is Etienne the best compliment for Gaskin and Ahmed’s skill set? Time will tell.

These issues are not huge and Etienne has all the tools to be a quality back in the NFL. But, taking those points into consideration, I think Najee Harris would be a better fit for the Dolphins since his skill set is more complimentary to what the Dolphins already have. That being said, if Etienne becomes a Dolphin in the second half of round one or early on day two, Miami would be getting a stud player with touchdown capabilities every time that he touches the ball.