Oakland Raiders: Josh Jacobs wants to learn from Todd Gurley

The Oakland Raiders made a great decision in drafting running back Josh Jacobs in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft.

The 24th overall pick in this year’s draft, Josh Jacobs,  is set to practice alongside another great running back, Todd Gurley this week when the Oakland Raiders host the Los Angeles Rams. The Los Angeles stud running back rushed for over 1,200 yards with 21 combined touchdowns.

Gurley was not only an all-pro player last year but the main part of why the Rams went to the Super Bowl but was an MVP candidate.

Josh Jacobs is set to take on a big role in the offense this year and has talked about wanting to improve his game. The Raiders current offense requires a lot from it’s running back, including lining up as a wide receiver, in the shotgun for blocking, and picking up blitzes; all things hard for a rookie running back to learn in a short amount of time.

According to the team site, Jacobs has reached out to Gurley before but hasn’t talked to him that much. He’s hoping for more time with him in this week’s joint practice with the Rams:

"“I don’t have a relationship with him, but I definitely spoke to him and told him when he gets here I want to pick his brain a little bit,” Jacobs said. “He’s a great running back in my eyes and he’s top five [in the league], and I just want to see how he thinks, and see what he does to take care of his body, or how he reads certain things and makes cuts.”"

Jacobs also admired his toughness and how he responded to injuries:

"“First and foremost just [want to ask] how he takes care of his body,” he said. “Going through certain injuries that he did and he always bounces back. It’s about longevity, especially at the running back position. That was the first thing I was going to ask him, and then how he tempos his runs, and where do his eyes go in his protections and how does he go about it. I just kind of like to pick people’s brains a little bit.”"

Not only has Jacobs talked with Gurley before, but he’s also talked with another NFL great, Emmitt Smith:

"“I talked to Emmitt [Smith] last week and he was giving me a lot of pointers on a lot of things too; whether it’s pass protection, or just about simple stuff like how much water to drink each day,” Jacobs shared. “Things he did and learning from a legend like him is definitely huge.”"

The Raiders have a joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams starting Wednesday and going until this Saturday’s preseason game in which the Raiders play at home. This leaves plenty of time for Jacobs and Gurley to communicate and learn from the best of the best currently.

Josh Jacobs has shown he wants to live up to his potential and has shown willingness to excel and not only just act the part but to be the best on the field.