In the weeks leading up to the kickoff the 2008 NFL Season, I’ll take a look at position groups that could potentially lift teams to new heights, or bury them and their postseason hopes. Today I take a look at how the Jacksonville Jaguars will once again rely on their running backs to carry them in 2008.

It’s no secret how the Jacksonville Jaguars plan on winning games this season: Running the football. Thanks to one of the best 1-2 punches in the league at running back in Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew, the Jags are legitimate Super Bowl contenders this season.

It’s amazing how a running back can compile 10,715 rushing yards and a 4.7-yard per carry average and yet only make one Pro Bowl. Fresh off his first (and only) Pro Bowl appearance, Taylor is set to once again carry the rock 200-plus times in Jacksonville’s offense.

When most running backs reach the dreaded age of 30, they usually start to break down. But Taylor hasn’t lost much over the years and has gained at least 1,000 yards in five of his last six seasons. Last year, Taylor rushed for 1,202 yards in 15 games (a 5.4 YPC average) and added five touchdowns.

Once again complementing Taylor in the backfield will be the third-year back Jones-Drew. In terms of production, Jones-Drew took a step back in his second year, rushing for 768 yards and nine touchdowns compared to the 941 yards and 13 scores he amassed his rookie year in 2006. But that doesn’t mean he was any less effective and once again gave the Jags a great change-of-pace back to go along with Taylor’s grinding style.

Taylor will once again carry the load in 2008, a role he’s relished since 2000. Appreciate him now, because the underrated and often under appreciated Taylor is expected to retire at the end of the season. Jones-Drew will once again serve as Jacksonville’s change-of-pace back and home run threat, as well as an effective weapon in the passing game.

There’s no doubt both of these backs benefit greatly from an offense that relies on the run, as well as a solid line and a quarterback that rarely makes mistakes. Expect the Jags to once again be one of the top-ranked rushing teams in ‘08.