Josh Jacobs

Posted: March 24th, 2019 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | Comments Off on Josh Jacobs

Corey Clement, Wendell Smallwood, Josh Adams, Boston Scott and Donnel Pumphrey are the RBs currently on the Eagles roster. I hope they are also five correct answers to the question “Who will not be the starting RB for the 2019 Eagles?”.

Nothing against those guys personally, but they simply aren’t good enough. The Eagles have not made any moves at RB, but we know one or two are coming. Once again, we face the annual question of whether the Eagles would spend a first round pick on a RB.

The Eagles haven’t drafted a RB in the first round since LeSean McCoy Brian Westbrook Duce Staley Charlie Garner Keith Byars all the way back in 1986. That doesn’t mean the team hasn’t considered it. The Eagles loved Christian McCaffrey back in 2017, but he went eighth overall so the Eagles had to settle for Derek Barnett at 14. One of the reasons the Eagles loved McCaffrey is that he was a three-down back. He could run and catch. He was a versatile weapon for the coaches to use creatively.

There is only one RB under serious first round consideration this year, Josh Jacobs of Alabama.

Franimal does a good job of breaking down Jacobs as a prospect. You can see just how talented he is. Jacobs too.

Should the Eagles have interest in Jacobs at 25?

Yes.

Obviously you can’t say for sure what the Eagles should do since we don’t know who will be on the board. I like Jacobs quite a bit, but if a uniquely talented DT like Ed Oliver is somehow there, I’m taking Oliver without a doubt.

Then again, we don’t even know if Jacobs will be on the board at 25. Daniel Jeremiah had him rated seventh in his latest Top 50 rankings. I don’t see Jacobs going before 25, but never say never. Teams down in the 20’s can do some crazy things at times.

I do think the Eagles have to strongly consider Jacobs if he is on the board. Normally I’m not a big believer in taking RBs in the first round, but Jacobs is an interesting case. He is 220 pounds and a tough, physical runner. He’s also a gifted receiver.

You don’t find many RBs with that size and strength who are also good pass catchers. Jacobs was 48-571-5 as a receiver at Alabama. As the video clip above shows, Jacobs isn’t just catching screens and short passes. He can get open and catch the ball down the field. That has real value in the Eagles offense.

One of the interesting aspects to Jacobs is that he only carried the ball 251 times in three years. Alabama is loaded at RB every year so some guys have to sit and wait for their turn. That’s what happened to Jacobs. Some might see this as a negative. Quite the contrary. It is a positive. Jacobs has plenty of tread left on the tire. RBs can wear down as they get used too much. Jacobs is in pristine condition and has a very bright future.

Some people focus on college production rather than pro potential. That would be a mistake here. Watch the tape and you see a talented RB. Jacobs has good feet. He can bounce plays outside and makes good cuts. Jacobs lacks top speed, but he runs hard. He’s not a dancer. Jacobs is a N-S runner and I love those guys. As much fun as it can be to watch Shady McCoy make dynamic cuts, give me a RB who hits the hole and runs behind his pads. That’s Jacobs.

Jacobs is an above-average runner. He is an above-average receiver. He shows real promise as a blocker.

It will be interesting to see if Jacobs is on the board and if the Eagles pull the trigger on a RB. He would be a huge addition to the Eagles offense.

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