The great ones are never satisfied. That’s what makes them great. They don’t settle. Even when you have a standout rookie season like Josh Jacobs had running the ball, there are still areas in which he is looking to improve.
His Raiders coaches have said they want to see him become a complete back. That means as a pass blocker and receiver specifically. So, when he says that, it’s really no secret.
The one area that Jacobs has especially been looking to improve is as a receiver. And not just out of the backfield either.
“I worked on a lot of things that receivers do. Not just running back routes, like how to get off the line, how to stack on top once you get vertical,” Jacobs said Wednesday from training camp. “I’ve just been working on all the little technical things that receivers do. Just trying to implement that into my own style and bring what I can to the table.”
Last season Jacobs caught 20 passes for 166 yards. Not what he would have wanted for sure. I asked him about his goals going into year two, and he not only wants to get those numbers up, but he has a specific number in mind.
“My goal is to catch at least 60 balls this year,” Jacobs added.
Obviously that would triple his number of catches from his rookie season. It would also put him in some rarified air in Raiders franchise history.
Should he hit his goal, he would be just the fifth ever Raiders running back to do it. The last being Jalen Richard two years ago. That season his 68 catches was tied for the team lead.
If he can match or exceed his 88.5 rushing yards per game from last season and triple his receiving output, we’d be looking at nearly a 2,000-yard season. That’s some good goals.
