What the Raiders Can Learn From Josh Jacobs

"Jacobs broke 90 tackles this season on 339 rushing attempts, gaining over 1,100 yards after contact behind a Raiders offensive line that improved as the year wore on but was far from dominant," Monson wrote. "Jacobs averaged 3.4 yards per carry after contact and accumulated 94 rushing first downs — 21 more than any other back. "

The Raiders are in the position to land another top running back, albeit a more blue-chip name in Boise State's Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty is arguably the most touted prospect at the position since Saquon Barkley came out of Penn State in 2018; he is a generational talent, too.

"Jeanty plays a position that has become devalued on draft day, but his unique talent and the resurgence of the run game in the NFL should force teams to reconsider that factor when weighing his value," wrote NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein. "He’s the ultimate yardage creator, with the talent and skill set to succeed independent of the quality of his blocking. Jeanty’s speed forces linebackers to flow hard outside, creating cutback lanes and chunk runs, while his vision, balance and elusiveness get it done along the interior.

"The threat of what he can do on the ground should create ideal play-action opportunities for his team, allowing his next play-caller to, say, unburden a young quarterback or any other passer being asked to shoulder too much of the offense. He’s compact and muscular, but there could be some minor concern surrounding his massive workload in 2024. This top-flight running back is capable of becoming the face of an offense in a league where the pendulum might be swinging back to the running game. Jeanty has future All-Pro talent."

The Raiders could very well be getting another first-team All-Pro-type runner in Jeanty, and one with a far higher ceiling than Jacobs. "Position value" did not matter for them in 2019, and it shouldn't in 2025.

If Jeanty is their guy -- they need to take him.