Getty Las Vegas Raiders RB Josh Jacobs.
Expectations were high for running back Josh Jacobs when the Las Vegas Raiders made him a first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. He quickly lived up to the expectations and rushed for 1,150 yards as a rookie while also being named to the Pro Bowl. The following two years were a bit disappointing as he averaged 3.9 yards a carry in 2020 and 4.0 yards a carry in 2021.
This led to the Raiders declining the fifth-year option on his contract last year. He bounced back in a major way last season and led the NFL with 1,653 rushing yards while also scoring 12 touchdowns. This led to him being named First-Team All-Pro. However, that still wasn’t enough for some people. In a June 28 column, Dan Hanzus of NFL.com went through and named the superstar players at every position on offense. Jacobs didn’t make the cut despite being recognized as the best running back in the NFL last season.
“Then there’s Josh Jacobs, the NFL’s reigning rushing champion and an absolute stud for the Raiders last season. Does one season of superstar production make you a superstar? I suppose it could (hi, Jonathan Taylor),” Hanzus wrote.
“Color me a touch wary, with Jacobs coming off a season in which he ranked second in the NFL in carries (340) and first in touches (393). We’ve seen in the past how the bill can come due for that kind of workload.”
Does Josh Jacobs Deserve to Be Considered a Superstar?
Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb, Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey and Indianapolis Colts running back Johnathan Taylor were all named superstars ahead of Jacobs. All four are high-level running backs, but Jacobs had more rushing yards and yards from scrimmage than all three of them. Henry, Chubb and McCaffrey have proven year to year that they deserve to be considered superstars. The one player that Jacobs arguably deserves to be ahead of is Taylor.
The Colts star only rushed for 861 yards last season and missed seven games with injury. While Jacobs was certainly the better player last season, Taylor did rush for 1,811 yards in 2021. If it’s only limited to four players, Jacobs could need another excellent season to truly earn superstar status.
.@Raiders @iAM_JoshJacobs lead the @NFL in rushing by a large margin over Henry & Chubb and it wasn’t close Busy making you miss or running through contact. What a great season. #BaldysBreakdowns
Davante Adams Named a Superstar at WR
Josh Jacobs didn’t get much love on Dan Hanzus’ list, but one Raider did. Wide receiver Davante Adams is coming off a season where he led the NFL with 14 receiving touchdowns and was also named First-Team All-Pro. He has been considered by some the best wide receiver in the NFL for years. Hanzus put him at the top of the list for superstar wide receivers.
“Adams and [Tyreek] Hill are probably already Hall of Famers — they won’t be alone when this collective is through,” Hanzus wrote.
Adams is 30 now and will be having Jimmy Garoppolo throw him passes this season. It remains to be seen if he can keep up the All-Pro pace in a new-look offense, but he did prove he can have an elite season away from Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. If he puts up big numbers again in 2023, that would essentially cement his Hall of Fame resume.