Breaking down Josh Jacobs development for the Oakland Raiders
By Daniel Davis
The Oakland Raiders rookies are making a huge impact on the team this year. Josh Jacobs is making his claim as to why he should be the rookie of the year in 2019 and it’s hard to argue against it.
With one of their three first round picks in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders selected Josh Jacobs, a stellar running back for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Jacobs produced while in college and ended his career with nearly 1,500 yards and 21 touchdowns. What the team saw was his patience and his decision-making skills when it came to rushing.
He made sure to stay poised in the face of tacklers and used his quickness to manipulate defenders to his will.
Last year, the Raiders were near the bottom in every offensive category. During the offseason, they knew they had a ton of holes to fill, and having three first round picks definitely helps. Through the first five games of 2019, the Raiders look like playoff contenders, thanks to the play of their young running back.
It’s not easy making the playoffs in the NFL, but seeing the weak state of the AFC West has given Raiders fans hope.
In training camp, Jacobs requested he not be on Hard Knocks in order to not distract himself from becoming the best player he could be, which paid off. The rookie is the second-ranked Pro Football Focus running back, only behind Christian McCaffrey, but does rank No. 1 in running ability among active running backs.
During the bye week, I decided I wanted to go back and revisit his development and specifically focusing on his rushing ability and patience on NFL Game Pass’ coaching film. I’ve broken down every individual slide into his games and what he did wrong, what he did right, and how he improved to the next week.