Raiders Josh Jacobs could finish 2020 as the best RB in the AFC

Josh Jacobs had a monster rookie season in 13 games for the Raiders, and if he can stay healthy, he could finish 2020 as the best running back in the AFC.

The then-Oakland Raiders made Josh Jacobs their second of three first round picks in the 2019 NFL Draft, selecting the elite running back out of Alabama. He made the Raiders look brilliant with the pick over the course of his rookie season, proving to be the kind of three-down back that Jon Gruden was looking for.

With added weapons around him for his second season in the league, as well as a full year in Gruden’s system, the sky is the limit for Jacobs. In a recent ranking of all 32 RB1’s in the NFL, Maurice Jones-Drew from NFL.com, and a former Raider, put Jacobs as the No. 9 best overall back in the league, but he could end up a lot higher in Year 2.

Jacobs incredible rookie season

Jacobs got his rookie campaign started off with a bang, scoring two touchdowns against AFC West rival Denver in Primetime in Week 1. That started a run that the Raiders organization had never seen, as he became the first rookie to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season, and at points, made it look easy.

The first-year player from Alabama ran over, and around defenders during his rookie campaign, establishing himself as one of the premier running backs in the league. Remember, this is a kid who averaged nearly five yards per carry in 2019, finding the end zone seven times, and putting together a collection of memorable runs.