Despite a rough Week 3 outing in which he touched the ball only 10 times, rookie running back Josh Jacobs is still on track to be named the league’s Rookie of the Year. He has been the most impressive rookie runner, and it’s not hard to make a case that he has been one of the best rookies so far in the 2019 class.
In fact, through three weeks, Pro Football Focus has him ranked at No. 2 in the 2019 class, just behind wide receiver Terry McLaurin. Take a look at what the site had to say about the former Alabama running back through three weeks:
After finishing as the highest-graded rookie and highest-graded running back through two weeks of play, Jacobs takes a step back to second in both categories. Even after a down week, Jacobs is still top-10 among all running backs in missed tackles forced per attempt (0.22) and first down/touchdown rate (27.0%). One of Jacobs’ greatest traits we have seen at the NFL level is his ability to gain yards after contact. When contacted at or behind the line of scrimmage, Jacobs leads all running backs in yards per carry by nearly a full yard at 4.3 and is also averaging 5.2 yards after contact in those instances.
If Oakland can find a way to stay more competitive in games early on, Jacobs should see more opportunities to touch the ball. It would also help if Jacobs could see some more action as a receiver, which head coach Jon Gruden promised to do after their Week 3 loss to the Vikings.
Jacobs is an explosive back who can make defenders miss and can finish through contact. He has no real weaknesses and should be a featured part of the Raiders’ offense. Expect him to get a lot more work in the upcoming weeks.
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