Oakland Raiders select Josh Jacobs at No. 24 overall

With their second first-round draft pick, the Oakland Raiders went offense with selecting Josh Jacobs out of Alabama at number 24 overall.

The Oakland Raiders made noise early in the night with selecting Clelin Ferrell with their first selection of the first round. At number 24, Oakland went offense with selecting Josh Jacobs, running back out of Alabama.

With selecting Jacobs, the Raiders became the first team to draft a running back in the 2019 NFL Draft.

All eyes were on the Oakland Raiders coming into the draft, as they boasted not one but three picks in the first round alone. After making a number of splashes in free agency, the Raiders had a chance to once again move in the right direction through strategic draft choices.

Coming into the night, Oakland had been constantly linked to drafting a pass rusher with their first selection, signaling their glaring need for a boost to a defense that greatly underwhelmed a year ago. With an NFL Draft top-heavy with defensive prospects, the Raiders simply could not pass on the opportunity to give a much-needed boost to their defensive line.

After taking Ferrell with pick number four, Oakland could look towards filling the other holes across the roster. To strengthen the defense, the Raiders could look towards filling the linebacker void or building depth in the secondary. Additionally, an extra offensive player would give Derek Carr more weapons heading into next season.

They went with the latter, adding a running back to a group in the backfield that looks to improve the offense and support Derek Carr heading into next season. With the departure of Marshawn Lynch, Jacobs could be a piece in the Raiders’ future plans.