Oakland Raiders: Grading the 2019 NFL Draft class
By Justin Fried
Round 1 (24th Overall) — Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama
After addressing a major need on defense with their initial first-round pick, the Raiders opted to add another weapon on offense with the selection of running back Josh Jacobs.
Jacobs will join a much-improved Raiders offense featuring the offseason additions of Antonio Brown, Tyrell Williams, and Trent Brown among others. After an unfortunate injury to the newly signed Isaiah Crowell, Jacobs is the odds-on favorite to receive the majority of touches heading into 2019.
Despite never receiving a full workload while at Alabama, Jacobs was the consensus top running back prospect in this year’s class. His combination of top-tier vision and elusiveness make up for his lack of top-flight speed which might be his only weakness as a player.
Related Story. San Francisco 49ers: Grading the 2019 NFL Draft class. light
Jacobs is a savvy runner who is quick and precise with his cuts and rarely goes down on first contact. When given the chance to shine with the Crimson Tide he did just that averaging a stellar 5.9 yards per carry over his collegiate career.
Unfortunately, he was stuck on the depth chart behind more highly-touted recruits such as fellow draftee Damien Harris and former No. 1 overall recruit Najee Harris. Despite that, Jacobs emerged as the top back for Alabama as 2018 went on and the former three-star recruit was able to force his way into the starting lineup.
With Jalen Richard expected to assume his regular third-down role, expect Jacobs to get the majority of work on first and second down. The likes of Doug Martin, DeAndre Washington, and Chris Warren will compete for playing time as well, but it would be surprising to see any of them significantly cut into Jacobs carries.
The Raiders offense will look very different in 2019 and Jacobs will be one of the more exciting, new faces to see on a weekly basis. Let’s just hope that his production level matches his draft value.