Making the Case

✅ Excellent Collegiate Producer
✅ ELITE YAC-threat
✅ ELITE Athlete
✅ Decent Draft Capital
✅ Underrated Rookie Season
✅ Fumbles = Correctable
✅ Ideal Situation
✅ Clear Path to Starting Role

Remember all of the excitement for Bhayshul Tuten as a rookie?

I’m here to tell you – it’s time to double-down.

For starters – Bhayshul Tuten was an excellent collegiate producer.

He was a 3-year starter.

• 208/1370/13 as a SO. at NC A&T
• 175/875/10 as a JR. at VT
• 183/1150/15 as a SR. at VT

10+ TD’s all 3 seasons.

Tuten averaged 6.0 YPC for his career (5.0+ every season).

Tuten was ELITE after-contact (4.15, 4.35, 3.74, & 4.47 YAC/attempt in 4 seasons; career 4.20 YAC/attempt).

He averaged an insane .353 MTF/attempt.

Ashton Jeanty (.370) & Cam Skattebo (.364) were the only RB’s in the 2025 Class with a better career MTF/attempt.

Tuten posted a 140+ Elusiveness Rating every year.

& posted a 91.4 PFF Rushing Grade in his best season.

He’s also an ELITE athlete.

Tuten’s NFL Combine figures:

• 4.32 40
• 1.49 10-yard split
• 40.5″ vertical
• 10’10” broad jump

His 4.32 40 was the 4th fastest of ANY RB in Combine history.

De’Von Achane is the only other active NFL RB as fast as him.

Tuten didn’t get drafted super-high – but 2025 was a notoriously “deep” RB class, & he did get drafted at the top of RD4 (104th overall). 1 pick ahead of Cam Skattebo.

Tuten was outplayed by veteran Travis Etienne as a rookie. But I’d push back on the notion he had a “bad” or “unimpressive” rookie season.

Amongst 55 RB’s with 75+ rushing attempts, Tuten ranked:

• 14th in YAC/attempt (3.22)
• 14th in Elusiveness Rating (72.6)
• 11th in MTF/attempt (.18)
• 5th in success-rate (57.8%)

There were plenty of positives.

Tuten also scored 7 offensive TD’s – despite never clearing 33% of the snaps in a single game.

He did average just 3.7 YPC (4.1 including playoffs).

& had just 2 breakaway runs on 87 regular season + playoff carries.

But that’ll likely change with more volume (Tuten had a 40%+ breakaway percentage in 3/4 collegiate seasons).

Tuten also dealt with injury as a rookie (ankle injury in WK11; sprained finger in WK15).

& he struggled with fumbles (9 in 2 years at VT; fumbled his first snap in OTA’s; fumbled twice vs IND in WK13).

Fumbles are easily correctable though, & they aren’t very predictable. (see Rhamondre Stevenson, who led the NFL in fumbles in 2024, but was featured by NE down the stretch in 2025).

Tuten will get a chance at more touches in YR2 regardless of whether Travis Etienne returns – but at this time, all signs point to Travis Etienne leaving as a free agent.

If Tuten secures the lead role in 2026?

He could explode.

JAX was what I call a “Holy Trinity” offense in 2025 – they were Top-10 in all 3 offensive categories:

• Points per-game (27.7; 6th)
• Yards per-game (338.6; 10th)
• Plays per-game (63.7; 9th)

Tuten is attached to high-quality QB play & a high-quality playcaller.

There also aren’t a ton of “threats” in free agency or the 2026 NFL Draft.

The top free agent RB’s are:

• Travis Etienne
• Breece Hall
• Kenneth Walker
• Javonte Williams
• Rico Dowdle
• JK Dobbins
• Tyler Allgeier
• Rachaad White
• Isiah Pacheco

It seems unlikely JAX would pay up for Breece Hall or Kenneth Walker in the event they let Travis Etienne walk.

In the 2026 NFL Draft:

The only RB’s other than Jeremiyah Love projected inside the Top-100 picks are:

• Jadarian Price (63rd)
• Jonah Coleman (71st)
• Emmett Johnson (82nd)

There are only a handful of RB’s in free agency & the draft who’d actually start over Tuten.

If there’s going to be a “Chase Brown” in 2026 – it’s Tuten.

Brown
5’9 1/2”/209
4.43 40
40” vertical
58 touches as a rookie
283 touches in YR2 (RB14, 15.9 PPG)

Tuten
5’9”/206
4.32 40
40.5” vertical
93 touches as a rookie
___ touches in YR2?

Both are short, athletic RB’s. Drafted Day 3. Not heavily-involved as rookies. In “Holy Trinity” offenses.

Joe Mixon was a free agent at the end of Brown’s rookie season…

Travis Etienne is a free agent at the end of Tuten’s…

It’s possible (if not likely) JAX adds to their backfield if (when?) Travis Etienne leaves.

But that doesn’t necessarily have to stop a Bhayshul Tuten breakout (CIN signed Zack Moss the year of Chase Brown’s breakout).

& if Tuten *does* breakout?

He’s young, in a great offense, viewed as an elite athlete.

The price tag will skyrocket.

Right now – Bhayshul Tuten is priced outside the Top-100 in Dynasty.

Behind roster-clogging WR’s like Jayden Higgins, behind Parker Washington.

Behind RD7 pick Kyle Monangai.

Behind Alec Pierce.

Behind Courtland Sutton.

I’d move all of those players for Tuten & I wouldn’t think twice.

I’d send ANY 2026 2 (2.01-2.12).

Those who have practiced delayed gratification have often been rewarded in Dynasty (see JSN, George Pickens, Kyren Williams, Chase Brown…)

Bhayshul Tuten could be next.