Ranking the Las Vegas Raiders offensive position groups against the AFC West

Running Backs

If we were judging any one running back against the rest of the division, Josh Jacobs from the Raiders would have to be the top guy, but rank the position group as a whole here. Denver added a quality back to go along with an already solid situation at running back, so they take the top spot.

Over the past couple of seasons, Phillip Lindsay has taken the league by storm with back-to-back 1,000-yard performances and 17 total touchdowns. The Broncos brought in Melvin Gordon this offseason, who’s had a productive career as well with 4,240 rushing yards and 47 total touchdowns in five years.

Then there’s Royce Freeman, who might be the best number three running back in the league, with 1,017 career rushing yards and nine total touchdowns in two seasons while splitting carries with Lindsay. Depth is what gives Denver the top spot here.

Josh Jacobs is without a doubt the best rusher in the AFC West. He was the Raiders’ MVP last year with 1,150 rushing yards (ranked seventh in the NFL) and seven touchdowns, despite missing three games. However, Las Vegas’ depth at the position is what keeps them out of the top spot.

Jalen Richard is a solid backup who has amassed over 2,500 yards from scrimmage in four seasons, but he isn’t the same caliber as Lindsay or Gordon. Behind the four-year veteran, the Silver and Black have Lynn Bowden, who is a rookie, and Devonte Booker, who the Broncos chose not to bring back. If Richard and Bowden put together impressive campaigns then the Raiders can easily take over the top spot, but until then, second will have to do.

It will be interesting to see what Clyde Edwards-Helaire can do for the Chiefs’ offense. He is one of the best receiving running backs in this year’s draft class and is no slouch toting the rock either, as he collected 1,414 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns at LSU last season.

Damien Williams projects to be right behind the rookie, and the Super Bowl Star enjoyed a breakout year in 2019 with 1,001 total yards and 13 touchdowns, including the playoffs. That’s decent depth in Kansas City’s backfield, but it lacks the star power that the two teams ahead of them have.

Over the last few years, Austin Ekeler has emerged as one of the NFL’s best pass-catching backs. Since he entered the league in 2017, Ekeler ranks third among running backs in receiving yards (1,676) and touchdowns (14) and has the most yards per target with 8.55 (minimum 75 targets). However, the former undrafted free agent has yet to break 600 rushing yards in a season and hasn’t proven to be a legitimate threat on the ground.

With Melvin Gordon’s departure to Denver, Los Angeles has Justin Jackson and Josh Kelley to back up Ekeler. Both players are unproven commodities as Jackson only has 79 carries in two seasons and Kelley is a rookie. One of those two will have to step up for the Bolts this year, but until then, their running back room leaves something to be desired.