Raiders draft preview: Josh Jacobs could use some help at running back
The Raiders expect more out of Josh Jacobs this season, so the natural thing to do is have him do a little less.
The shelf life of a running back can be short. While it’s great for the Raiders to dream about Jacobs taking punishment for 15 years like Walter Payton or Emmitt Smith, that’s not the way to bet.
As good as Jacobs was as a rookie first-round draft pick out of Alabama, rushing for a franchise record 1,150 yards on 242 carries, he didn’t last the season. He broke his shoulder on his first carry in Week 7 against Green Bay, trotted to the locker room, took a pain-killing injection and came back to rush for 124 yards. He played with the injury until finally missing the last two games of the season.
Which is why when the NFL draft begins on Thursday, the Raiders will be on the lookout for a running back that could both complement Jacobs as well as be an injury replacement.
Coach Jon Gruden has spoken of getting Jacobs more involved as a receiver, and general manager Mike Mayock stressed polishing his all-around game.
“We have to make sure in Stage 2 this year, that he can do it all,” Mayock said at the NFL scouting combine. “If he’s got to stay in and block a defensive end, he’s got to do it. If a linebacker is coming, he’s got to scan. These are hard things for a rookie running back and we didn’t want top ut too much on his plate. But he’s got the physical capabilities and we’re going to expect more from him this year.”
Given the shoulder injury and the 242 runs from scrimmage, the Raiders were wise to limit Jacobs to 20 receptions for 166 yards. With Jalen Richard on hand as a receiving back, it wasn’t necessary to ground Jacobs into dust after never having been a featured ballcarrier at Alabama.
While Gruden has compared Richard in the past to former Raider Charlie Garner, he’s never been used heavily as a scrimmage runner. Gruden has long preferred physical backs that break tackles and move the chains. With DeAndre Washington having departed for the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency, there’s a vacancy for running back.
Barring trades, the Raiders have picks at Nos. 80, 81 and 91 in the third round. Considering the possibility that Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins may be the only running back picked in the first round, the Raiders could get a second back there or wait until their picks in the fourth and fifth round.
How the position shapes up heading in to Thursday’s first round:
The big three: J.K. Dobbins (Ohio State), D’Andre Swift (Georgia), Jonathan Taylor (Wisconsin). Dobbins (5-foot-9, 207), who rushed for 2,003 yards for Ohio State, could be this year’s Jacobs in terms of a back who could step in and gain 1,100-plus yards. Swift (5-8, 212), a possibility in the late first, may be too much of a “make them miss” back for Gruden’s liking but then again he averaged 6.6 yards per carry for his career. Taylor, who is used to running behind former Wisconsin fullback Alec Ingold, is Gruden’s kind of grinder (5-10, 226) but has 926 carries in the last three seasons. That’s a lot of tread on the tires.
Second wave: Clyde Edwards-Helaire (LSU). Edwards-Helaire rushed for 1,414 yards and caught 55 passes as a junior and so impressed his teammates he was named the team MVP for the national champions who had Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow at quarterback. Others include Cam Akers (Florida State), Zack Moss (Utah), Joshua Kelly (UCLA), Darrynton Evans (Appalachian State), Anthony McFarland Jr. (Maryland).
Keep an eye on: Antonio Gibson (Memphis). A tackle breaker at 228 pounds, Gibson fits the Raiders mold as a power runner and averaged 19.3 yards per catch, often as a slot receiver. He never carried more than six times in a gameand that can be construed as a negative in terms of experience but a positive in terms of wear and tear.
Already on the roster: *Josh Jacobs, *FB Alec Ingold, Jalen Richard, Rod Smith, William Stanback, Mark Thompson.
Last five drafts: Josh Jacobs, Alabama (1/24 in 2019), Elijah Hood, North Carolina (7/242 in 2017), DeAndre Washington, Texas Tech (5/143), 2016.
Quotable: I think I have vision that’s out of this world. It’s definitely a God-given talent. I think that’s the best thing about my game,” Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins.
*–Projected starters