The Green Bay Packers have one of the NFL’s top 10 running backs, according to a new evaluation, though the praise came with a firm limit.
Bleacher Report ranked Josh Jacobs No. 9 in its NFL 1000 running back rankings released Aug. 4.
The ranking recognized the traits that have allowed Jacobs to handle a featured workload throughout his career.
But it stopped short of placing him among the position’s elite players.
“Jacobs isn’t an elite running back,” B/R’s Damian Parson wrote. “But he is a well-rounded back and starter.”
That assessment leaves Jacobs in an interesting position entering his third season with Green Bay.
His production dipped while he played through injuries in 2025, but he was one of the offense’s most reliable scorers.
B/R Won’t Call Jacobs Elite
GettyASHWAUBENON, WISCONSIN – JUNE 09: Josh Jacobs #8 of the Green Bay Packers participates in drills during the Green Bay Packers mandatory minicamp at Don Hutson Center on June 09, 2026 in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
Bleacher Report graded non-rookie running backs in five areas: vision and patience, elusiveness and contact balance, receiving ability, athleticism and pass protection.
Jacobs received his best score for elusiveness and contact balance, earning 22 of 25 possible points.
He added 21 points for vision and patience, 16 for athleticism, 15 for receiving ability and six for pass protection.
The evaluation described Jacobs as a proven three-down back with quick feet, lateral agility and enough strength to finish runs through contact.
His ability to catch passes out of the backfield also helped him maintain a spot inside the top 10.
The overall verdict reflected a 2025 season that carried two different truths.
Jacobs rushed for 929 yards and 13 touchdowns on 234 carries. He also caught 36 passes for 282 yards and another score, giving him 1,211 yards from scrimmage and 14 total touchdowns.
The rushing total fell 400 yards below his first season in Green Bay, when he ran for 1,329 yards and earned Pro Bowl recognition. His average also dropped from 4.4 yards per carry in 2024 to 4.0 in 2025.
Injuries may have played a role in the drop.
Packers.com reported that Jacobs missed two games and spent a significant portion of the season playing at less than full strength.
Even so, his 13 rushing touchdowns gave him 28 through two seasons with the Packers.
The league’s players offered a similar evaluation this summer. Jacobs landed at No. 74 in the NFL Top 100 after ranking 33rd the previous year.
Packers Offense Revolves Around Their Lead Back
GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JANUARY 10: Josh Jacobs #8 of the Green Bay Packers runs the ball against the Chicago Bears during the second quarter in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Soldier Field on January 10, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
The distinction between elite and dependable might matter more in a ranking than it does inside Green Bay’s offense.
Jacobs has carried 535 times for 2,258 yards since joining the Packers. He has also scored 28 rushing touchdowns and led the team in rushing in each of his first two seasons.
Green Bay enters 2026 with uncertainty behind him.
Emanuel Wilson departed in free agency, while MarShawn Lloyd missed the entire 2025 regular season because of a recurring hamstring injury. Chris Brooks has earned trust as a pass protector and third-down option, but he has recorded 87 offensive touches over the past two seasons.
That leaves Jacobs as the offense’s prevailing bell cow, provided he stays healthy.
He has already shown that his upper limit reaches beyond the “high-quality starter” label. Jacobs led the NFL with 1,653 rushing yards in 2022 and produced one of the best debut seasons by a running back in Packers history two years later.
His 2025 season created enough questions to keep him outside B/R’s highest tiers.
But it made no impact on his importance to the Packers.
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