There wasn’t a more productive back in the NFL this year than Josh Jacobs. Not only did he lead the NFL in rushing yards, but he also led the league in yards from scrimmage.
Jacobs was absolutely fantastic this season and it’s why he was named a first-team All-Pro selection by the Associated Press. But was he the league’s most valuable runner?
In a recent article by Seth Walder of ESPN, he listed the 100 most valuable players of the 2022 season. Jacobs was on the list, coming in at No. 76, but he wasn’t the top-ranked running back. In fact, he finished fourth behind Christian McCaffrey, Nick Chubb, and Austin Ekeler.
Here is what Walder had to say about that ranking and Jacobs’s season:
“Jacobs had a remarkable season, make no mistake, and I think most will be asking why he’s so low on this list. The simple answer is that his 0.5 rush yards over expectation per carry was good but not great, considering his volume.
And he didn’t add as much in the receiving game as McCaffrey or Ekeler. But the totality of what Jacobs did was still incredibly strong both as a raw total (1,653 rushing yards on 4.9 yards per carry) and against expectation (plus-174).”
Jacobs had a fantastic season, no matter how you slice it. But you can make a case that his year wasn’t quite as good as McCaffrey or Ekeler considering what those players do in the passing game.
Still, it’s hard to downplay just how good Jacobs was this season for the Raiders. He should be one of the highest-paid running backs in free agency and the Raiders are hopeful that he returns in 2023.
