May 19, 2019

Maybe no running back in the 2019 draft enters into a more perfect situation than Josh Jacobs. The 24th overall pick out of Alabama goes to a coach in John Gruden who wants to ground and pound the ball, and Jacobs is the perfect fit to do just this. Jacobs enters the league with very little wear and tear as he was a committee back at Alabama. This means after only garnering 140 touches in 2018; his, his body will be fresh for the punishment coming his way. With the additions of Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams, the passing game will improve to the point of allowing the backfield to have its explosion of production. While Jalen Richard is an elite pass-catching option and will remain so this season, Jacobs will replace the duo of Marshawn Lynch and Doug Martin as the primary ball carrier. Tyrell Williams and Antonio Brown will be able to extend the field but with the loss of Jared Cook in free agency Derek Carr will still be looking for that dump down receiver to hit when he gets in trouble. This will also be a place where Jacobs can excel when he is on the field. In limited work at Alabama, Jacobs still caught over 20 passes last season making him as reliable a pass catcher as others in this class like Miles Sanders and David Montgomery. The only worry I have for Jacobs is his current draft price of the final pick in the fourth round. He certainly can make good on the price, and he is the starting running back, which makes him that much more valuable. But when there are other running backs still on the board who also have talent and good situations, it is hard to spend the draft capital here to get him. A player like David Montgomery going off in the early eighth round has a similar ceiling to Jacobs and a safer floor. With this said, if Jacobs falls a bit to the middle or end of the fifth round, he is still a solid buy. We know Gruden wants to use him, and we know he will, but we have not seen his full ability in college, and it may not come to fruition in year one in the NFL. If you are drafting him as your RB1, you are asking for heartbreak. If you are drafting him as your second or third back, you can and should feel more confident in your game plan and your fantasy team.--Dominick Petrillo - RotoBaller