6 players the Las Vegas Raiders cannot afford to see opt out
Josh Jacobs, Running Back
The Raiders need the running game to set up all the play actions which catapult Darren Waller to elite status. Josh Jacobs was the breakout rookie of the 2019 NFL season for the Raiders, showing a business-like approach is his day-to-day work.
In fact, Jacobs was considered the front-runner to win the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, and it was a bit of a shock when it went to Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. Still, Jacobs is not one to care about personal accolades, and enters his second season in the league as a premier running back.
Jacobs had 242 rushes for 1,150 yards last season with a 4.8 yards per attempt average. The rookie also had 25 runs of 10+ yards, while finding the end zone seven times on the ground. However, the most impressive number of his is nearly 850 yards after the first contact, and nearly 70 tackles avoided.
Jacobs is incredibly elusive and was even voted on the NFL Top 100 players of 2020 after his rookie campaign. As productive as he was, I expect him to be even better in Year 2. Jacobs played a lot of his rookie season with a fractured shoulder, and now that he is healthy, the expectation is he will be utilized more in the passing game as well.