Is Josh Jacobs the next great running back to take over the NFL?
Time will tell, but the rookie has a long list of running backs he idolizes and takes bits and pieces of their game and adds it to his own.
During an interview with former NFL wide receiver and now-NFL Network analyst Steve Smith Sr., Jacobs had an open and honest chat about his upbringing, expectations from Jon Gruden and the Raiders, and some of his favorite players of all-time.
He might've been born in 1998, but Jacobs has a great appreciation for the NFL legends that paved the way.
"If you go way back like Jim Brown, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders," Jacobs told Smith. "But nowadays, you got Zeke, you got Todd Gurley and Alvin Kamara. There's a lot of great running backs. I kind of like to steal from all of them."
The University of Alabama product has some lofty goals for himself, such as offensive rookie of the year, and 1,000 yards rushing — among other things — but he knows that in order to accomplish those things he needs to show he's worthy of becoming a feature back. So far through training camp, Jacobs has been nothing short of impressive, and now that the pads are on he's able to show what he's capable of in pass protection.
The regular season might be a month-and-a-half away, but Jacobs still has a long road ahead of him before he faces his first true NFL competition. The 21-year-old back has a lot to prove, but there's no reason to believe he won't be capable of etching his name in the NFL history books next to some of his heroes one day.
