Oakland Raiders: 5 takeaways from Week 1 victory over the Denver Broncos
By Nico Di Fede
2. Running backs are still worth first-round picks
Josh Jacobs looked just as good as he did in the preseason against the Arizona Cardinals, only this was against a better defense and versus a real scheme. Jacobs ran for 85 yards on 23 carries while most importantly scoring two touchdowns in his first NFL game.
Many people debate whether or not running backs are worth first-round picks nowadays as many good backs can be found in later rounds or even as undrafted free agents.
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I’ve always disagreed with the notion that running backs are a dime a dozen, and I think Jacobs, as well as guys like Saquon Barkley, Ezekiel Elliott, and Todd Gurley, show why.
While you can find a good back in the mid-rounds, if you think a guy can be a true bell-cow, consistent 1,000-yard rusher, then I think they are definitely worth a first-rounder, especially a late first.
The Raiders really haven’t had a true number one running back in a while. Latavius Murray rushed for 1,000 in 2016, but he isn’t a starter now for a reason.
Having a guy you can rely on and know is going to pound out tough yards game in and game out takes a lot of pressure off of the quarterback and makes the passing game a lot more effective, especially in the type of offense that Gruden wants to run.
We saw that on Monday as the offense was smooth and able to mix it up and effectively sell play fakes, something Carr and the offense were not very effective at the past couple of years.