Incredibly, Las Vegas Raiders star running back Josh Jacobs was not good enough to land on CBS’ top-10 list in terms of the position group.
Josh Jacobs exploded onto the scene for the then-Oakland Raiders last season, becoming the first Raiders rookie running back to rush for over 1,000 yards. During his 13 starts, Jacobs finished with over 1,100 yards on the ground, made more people miss than any other back in the league, and did most of his damage with a fractured shoulder.
When it came time for the writers to vote for the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year honor, many felt that Jacobs would be a shoe-in for the award. He dominated defenses all season long, and was a key reason why the Raiders saw a three-game improvement from the year before, but he fell short.
Not only is Jacobs the best running back in AFC West, but many feel he is one of the best in the game, which is why it came as a shock when he was not named on a recent list of the best backs in football. Patrik Walker of CBS Sports put together a list of the top-10 running backs in the game right now, and a certain second-year back for the Silver and Black was nowhere to be seen.
Jacobs continues to be overlooked by the media
When it came to Jacobs, Walker had the young star outside of his top-10, which is incredible considering the rookie season he is coming off of. Instead of Jacobs, guys like Chris Carson, Leonard Fournette, Joe Mixon, and even Todd Gurley made the cut, making his absence even more of a shock.
While those guys are certainly talented backs, there is no way that Jacobs should have been left off this list. Christian McCaffrey was rated the best back in football, and rightfully so, followed by Ezekiel Elliott, Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, and Nick Chubb, who rounded out he top-5 on the list.
It would be easy for Jacobs to fall in line after those five, as he is still young, and was not able to do a lot of damage in the passing game last season. But to consider him not one of the best ten in the entire game is to overlook his talent, much like the writers did when they picked Kyler Murray as the Offensive Rookie of the Year last season.
Now healthy, Jacobs figures to be used more in the passing game this season, something he was able to prove he could do during his time at Alabama. All told, this Raiders offense could be special this season, and if they do finally start winning games, Jacobs will no doubt become more of a household name outside of the Raider Nation.