Growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Josh Jacobs was homeless for a brief period of time, sleeping in his father's car and hopping from motel to motel. He was in high school when the family found a home. Jacobs picked up football and began to immediately excel, rushing for over 5,000 rushing yards and 55 touchdowns during his high school career. Despite dominant success, Jacob did not receive any scholarship offers, that is, until Alabama recruiters found his game film on social media.
Jacobs went to Tuscaloosa as the RB3 behind Damien Harris and Bo Scarbrough, but he became the most efficient receiver of the three and totaled more than 500 yards on the ground in his freshman season. Jacobs' production took a hit the next season when Najee Harris came to town and took the third string role on a team that eventually won the National Championship.
In 2018, Jacobs was again outgained on the ground by both Najee and Damien Harris, but he led the backfield in receiving for the third straight year. Knowing a lead role in the backfield was going to be difficult to attain, Jacobs opted to leave early and declared for the 2019 NFL Draft. His college stats and workout metrics were underwhelming. He recorded a 4.69 second 40 time, 115.5 Burst Score, and 13.9-percent College Dominator rating. Still, John Gruden and the Las Vegas Raiders saw potential in Jacobs and selected him at the end of the first round.
From day one in Vegas, Jacobs was used as a bell cow. He carried the ball 242 times in his rookie season, including an impressive 81 broken tackles and 1.77 Yards Created Per Touch despite porous run-blocking. His per touch efficiency dropped, but a substantial increase in opportunities vaulted him over 1,000 rushing yards and 12 total touchdowns. In 2021, he also flashed his receiving prowess at the NFL level, earning a 12.4-percent Target Share with just three drops on 253 routes run. He finished 2021 as the RB13 in fantasy.
In 2022, the final year of his rookie contract, Jacobs went nuclear. He finished with 1,653 rushing yards, 400 receiving yards, and 12 total touchdowns on 393 total touches. Jacobs was No. 1 in Opportunity Share as a central part of the Raiders' offense. Following a career season, Jacobs was franchise tagged by the Raiders in 2023. While he was productive with over 1000 all-purpose yards, he struggled with injuries and efficiency.
Jacobs appeared pegged to return to the Raiders following their hiring of Antonio Pierce. However, he surprisingly reached a long-term contract with the Green Bay Packers in free agency. Jacobs will now suit up with a new team for the first time in his career in 2024 and pair with AJ Dillon. Given how Jordan Love and the rest of the Packers' offense finished 2023, this is an exciting landing spot for the veteran running back.
