Could Josh Jacobs take home the Raiders second NFL rushing title?

Josh Jacobs is coming off a special rookie season with the Raiders, and some believe he could be in line for a rushing title in Year 2.

The then-Oakland Raiders selected Josh Jacobs in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and the hope was that he could develop into a feature back at the NFL level. In his rookie season, Jacobs exceeded all expectations, setting the Raiders rookie rushing record, and becoming the first Raiders rookie back to rush for over 1,000 yards.

Heading into Year 2, the Raiders can expect even more from Jacobs, as they have added more dynamic weapons around him, and that should take some of the pressure off of him. In addition, they added Lynn Bowden Jr. to the running back room, while bringing back Jalen Richard, so there is a solid trio at the top of the depth chart at the position group.

Overall, Jacobs proved that he can run through, or around defenders last season, and to do that as a rookie was quite impressive. The sky appears to be the limit for Jacobs, who has overcome so much in his life, and has continued to prove doubters wrong.

NFL.com listed Jacobs winning the title as a bold prediction

Adam Schein from NFL.com recently laid out his bold predictions for the 2020 NFL season, and his No. 2 prediction was that Jacobs would take home the rushing title. During his rookie season, Jacobs played hurt for half the season, missed three games, and still rushed for over 1,100 yards.

Schein likes the fact that Jacobs will be healthy in 2020, and that the Raiders brought in Henry Ruggs III, who should be able to force teams to lay back a bit in coverage. In addition, Jacobs can flat out make defenders miss, and that is going to lead to him racking up plenty of yards after contact.

Not since Marcus Allen

The only Raiders running back to win an NFL rushing title was Marcus Allen, who rushed for an incredible 1,759 yards in an incredible 1985 season that saw him bring home the league’s Most Valuable Player award. Allen was also the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in 1985, and it capped a two-year span that saw him not win an NFL MVP, but also a Super Bowl MVP.

In winning a rushing title, Jacobs would be the first in 35 years, as he continues to cement himself as one of the more promising young backs this organization has ever seen. If the 2019 season was a glimpse at what this kid can do with the football, the Raiders are in good shape at the position for the foreseeable future.

Of course, it was Clem Daniels that is the first Raiders running to win a rushing title, but that was way back in 1963 in the AFL days. Jacobs has already started erasing Allen from the Raiders record books with his phenomenal rookie season, and in 2020, he could join him as the only Raiders running backs to bring home an NFL rushing title in team history.