If you are searching for positive news after the Raiders’ Week 2 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, look no further than running back Josh Jacobs.
After two weeks, Jacobs is fourth in the league in rushing yards and second in rushing touchdowns. He’s shown burst, power, and the ability to play on all three downs. That is why it shouldn’t be a surprise that he is already drawing so much praise from a site like Pro Football Focus.
After two weeks, Jacobs is the site’s highest-graded first-round pick with an overall grade of 89.8. Not only is he the highest-graded rookie, but he’s also the site’s highest-graded running back through two weeks. Take a look at what PFF had to say about the rookie running back from Alabama:
The Raiders haven’t had much to cheer about over the last few months, but the first two games of Josh Jacobs’ career should at least give some form of hope. After he churned out 63 rushing yards after contact and six forced missed tackles in Week 1, the ‘Bama product rushed for 83 yards after contact via three forced missed tackles in Week 2. And he has now earned an 87.8 rushing grade that ranks first among all NFL running backs with at least 20 rushing attempts so far this season.
As Jacobs becomes more comfortable in Oakland’s offense, expect his usage to continue to rise. He is clearly going to be a focal point of the offense over the next 14 weeks as Oakland tries to play a ball-control style of football. Jacobs is already proving to be worth the No. 24 pick from April’s draft.
