Josh Jacobs is slated to be the feature back for the Oakland Raiders in 2019, and we take a look at whether or not he will eclipse the 1,000-yard mark.
Going into 2019, the Oakland Raiders will look to improve upon their rushing game that ranked 25th in the NFL last season. The Raiders drafted Josh Jacobs in the first round of the NFL draft, as he will look to be the first elite running back the Raiders have had in over a decade.
Even though the Raiders ranked in the bottom half of the NFL in rush attempts in 2018, the Raiders lacked a premier back once Marshawn Lynch went down with an injury. Josh Jacobs will carry the majority of the load for Oakland in 2019, as the Raiders offensive line, and offense in general, will be much improved from the last season.
Jacobs will have a ton of great opportunities for breakout games in 2019, as the Raiders schedule lacks opponents with great run defenses. The Raiders play six games against teams that ranked in the top ten in rushing defense last season, and only one other team that ranks in the top half of the league.
Jacobs will have a great chance to show out in his rookie season against teams like the Bengals, Chiefs twice, and Jets all ranked in the bottom ten of the league in run defense last season, and the Packers, Broncos twice, Jaguars, and Titans all ranked in the bottom half of the league last season.
Jacobs will play nine games against teams with a poor rush defense, with five of them being home games. Running back is one of the few positions that rookies do not struggle in the transition from college to pros, and Jacobs has a chance to be the best rookie back in the NFL this season.
With Doug Martin and Jalen Richard backing Jacobs up in the backfield, there is no true threat to take away carries from Jacobs. With fourteen games against teams that gave up over 100 rushing yards a game to their opponents, Jacobs has a great chance to rush for over 1,000 yards in 2019.
Over/Under 1,000 rushing yards for Josh Jacobs: Over
Expect Jacobs to struggle against teams like the Bears, Texans, Colts, and Chargers, but other than that, Jacobs will have solid opportunities against the rest of the field. As long as Jacobs stays healthy, I could see him rushing for around 1,100 yards next season, being a big part in the rebirth of the Raiders offense.