All season long, Head Coach Jon Gruden has praised the effort and production from his young players – the rookie class in particular.
Well, as the Silver and Black approach the halfway point of their 2019 season, folks around the NFL are taking notice of what the youngest Raiders are bringing to the table as well.
In fact, the 2019 rookie class has performed so well over its first seven games that Chris Wesseling of Around the NFL has named them one of his Top 10 2019 rookie classes.
For the record, they check in at No. 2, just behind the Jacksonville Jaguars' rookie class led by quarterback Gardner Minshew.
"The showpiece of Mike Mayock's sterling rookie class, Josh Jacobs became the first running back since LaDainian Tomlinson (2001) to gain at least 100 yards from scrimmage and rush for a pair of touchdowns in his NFL debut," wrote Wesseling. "It was Jacobs' performance versus the Packers in Week 7 that caught my eye. After trucking safety Adrian Amos on one early run and stiff-arming his way to a 42-yard gain on another, the former Alabama star flashed a series of sharp switchbacks like a seasoned mountain hiker on a 27-yard scamper late in the third quarter. He's been the tone-setter on a surprisingly effective offense that also features rookie slot receiver Hunter Renfrow, tight end Foster Moreau and fullback Alec Ingold."
You can check out Wesseling's full breakdown, as the well as the entirety of his rookie class rankings, here.
