The Raiders entered the 2019 NFL Draft with three first-round picks. That was the package, which included two 2020 draft picks, that was intended to turn the Raiders’ fortunes around.
Unfortunately, the Raiders missed out on nearly all five first-round picks, with Alabama running back Josh Jacobs being the only bright light. Since taking over as the Raiders’ starting running back, Jacobs has become a league superstar, leading the NFL in rushing yards in 2022.
However, with a hefty contract looming this summer, Jacobs chose to join the Green Bay Packers in free agency, a ‘business’ decision for the rising star. In Green Bay, Jacobs should have no trouble extending his outstanding NFL career, but it appears that his departure from the Raiders was not a clean one.
Josh Jacobs said this to a Raiders fan on X (previously Twitter) on Friday night.
The Raiders will need a lot to replace Jacobs’ productivity.
There is no doubt that Jacobs is a difficult act to follow, but the Raiders will try with a collection of strong possibilities at the position. Zamir White will take over as the starting running back, and he demonstrated his ability to handle the workload last season, carrying for more than 100 yards in two of his four games with Jacobs injured.
Ameer Abdullah, Dylan Laube, and Alexander Mattision will also provide potential at running back for the Raiders, and it will be interesting to see how first-year offensive coordinator Luke Getsy distributes the ball in the run game. All four of these backs bring something unique to the table, but it remains to be seen whether this bunch will be able to make the same impact on Sunday that Jacobs did over the previous five seasons.
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