JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Count Maurice Jones-Drew as the second former Jacksonville Jaguars running back who is impressed with rookie Leonard Fournette.
Jones-Drew, who attended Sunday's practice, said he studied Fournette extensively during the pre-draft process and watched tape of the Jaguars' scrimmage Friday night. He hasn't seen anything to change his opinion of the former LSU standout.
"What I've seen to this point, checking in, following [the media] on Twitter, and doing some due diligence, he's done a phenomenal job," Jones-Drew said. "I watched a little bit of [Friday] night. He did a good job. They're creating seams for him and that's what you have to do for a guy like that.
"I think he's going to be very successful. He's going to kind of continue the backs that we've had here in Jacksonville."
That would put Fournette in some good company. Fred Taylor is the franchise's all-time leading rusher (11,271 yards) and Jones-Drew is second on the list (8,071 yards), but Jones-Drew holds the record for most rushing touchdowns (68) and most total touchdowns (81). Taylor is second on the career list in both of those categories.
Jones-Drew, who is now an NFL Network analyst, said Fournette's running style is different from his own and Taylor's. He's not sure how much help he'll get from the Jaguars' offensive line, which will have only one new starter (left tackle Cam Robinson) from last year's unit. The Jaguars finished 22nd in the NFL in rushing last year (101.9 yards per game).
"My concerns were that the Jags' offensive line had to create seams for him," Jones-Drew said. "He's not a guy that's going to create holes. He's not a LeSean McCoy or a shifty guy like Le'Veon Bell. He's not those type of guys. He's more of the downhill, one-cut runner and you need creases for that. We knew he had the vision. We knew he had the power, the speed, all those things but you need creases if you're not going to be a creator.
"It was just an issue last year. There weren't many seams. I think they've done a great job of addressing it. Obviously losing [Branden] Albert sucks but they've done a great job of addressing that offensive line."
Taylor was even more effusive than Jones-Drew in his praise for Fournette during an interview with Jaguars Today on the team's official website Thursday.
"Leonard's a beast," Taylor said on the show. "Man amongst boys even though he hadn't had the opportunity to show it this year but I know in college he was just that. I followed his game. He's an all-around guy. He's got great hands. He can catch the ball out of the backfield from what I recall. He gets downhill, he doesn't waste a whole lot of time laterally, but he has good lateral movement to be a big guy."
