When the Raiders used the No. 24 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft on a running back, the hope was that he could instantly improve their ground attack. That is exactly what happened as Josh Jacobs was able to total over 1,300 yards in 13 games last season.
What the Raiders likely weren’t expecting was just how dominant he would be as a rookie. According to Pro Football Focus, Jacobs was the league’s second-most elusive running back last season as defenders just weren’t able to bring him to the ground on first contact. He finished as the site’s No. 2 ranked running back, just behind Nick Chubb and barely ahead of Christian McCaffrey.
But what is the ceiling for Jacobs in the NFL? Does he have the potential to be considered one of the league’s best overall running backs? In a recent article by ESPN, they polled several NFL executives and coaches, asking them who are the top-10 running backs in the NFL.
Coming in at No. 9 was Jacobs, despite missing three games as a rookie. Take a look at what one offensive coach had to say about Jacobs and his future in the league:
“He’ll be top-5 soon. Never gets tackled by first guy, smoothness is pretty unique. Really good back.”
According to the article, the highest anyone ranked Jacobs was at No. 7, while other regulators left him off their top-15 lists entirely. It’s worth noting there wasn’t much of a consensus among decision-makers as six different running backs were ranked as the top back in the league.
If Jacobs can stay healthy for all 16 games this season, he should have no problem climbing up this list. He’s clearly one of the most talented running backs in the NFL and in a situation where he will likely see a ton of touches over the course of the year. Look for Jacobs to solidity his spot inside of the top-five by this time next season.
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