Looking back at the 2019 NFL Draft isn’t fun for fans of the Raiders. Two of the three first-round picks have been disappointments as Clelin Ferrell and Johnathan Abram will both likely have their fifth-year options declined.
But what about Josh Jacobs? He’s totaled nearly 4,000 yards in 42 games with the Raiders and made a Pro Bowl during the 2020 season. Will the Raiders decide to keep him in 2023 or will they decline his fifth-year option and move on?
In a recent article by Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus, they took a look at every first-round pick from the 2019 NFL Draft and predicted if their current team would exercise or decline their fifth-year option.
For the Raiders, Spielberger predicted that the Raiders would exercise Jacobs’ option as it’s only $8 million and he’s proven to be a quality player. Here is a snippet of his thoughts on the decision the Raiders have to make in the upcoming days:
“Jacobs has been as advertised since entering the league in 2019, with his 90.8 rushing grade being the sixth-best mark among rushers with at least 100 carries. His 0.24 missed tackles forced per rushing attempt is tied for fourth, and his 77 explosive rushes rank sixth.
The Raiders will likely exercise this option simply because of the low dollar value on account of the position Jacobs plays, and perhaps there’s added motivation to avoid declining all three of their 2019 first-round picks.”
It’s worth mentioning that Pro Football Focus did mention that the new front office for the Raiders might decline his option as the Patriots have historically been a team that is against paying big money for running backs.
Plus, they typically use a running back by committee approach and paying one running back upwards of $8 million might not be in the best interest of the team.
Jacobs has been a quality back for the last three years and has done a relatively good job of staying on the field. Considering he’ll only get paid $8 million in 2023 and he’ll be just 25 years old, it’s a pretty safe assumption that the team will pick up his option.
