There is no end to the number of NFL offseason lists out there. One of the more recent comes from NFL media’s Dan Hanzus who thought to put together a list of those at each position he would call a “Superstar”.
There was no set number of players who he considered worthy of such a title. For instance, there were seven quarterbacks and just four running backs.
Among those running backs, there was a notable omission — reigning rushing title holder Josh Jacobs.
The four running backs who were included were Nick Chubb, Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry, and Jonathan Taylor.
Why are they Superstars and Jacobs isn’t? Hanzus explains his reasoning.
Then there’s Josh Jacobs, the NFL’s reigning rushing champion and an absolute stud for the Raiders last season. Does one season of superstar production make you a superstar? I suppose it could (hi, Jonathan Taylor). Color me a touch wary, with Jacobs coming off a season in which he ranked second in the NFL in carries (340) and first in touches (393). We’ve seen in the past how the bill can come due for that kind of workload.
Hmm. So, it would seem Hanzus thinks Jacobs in a one-season wonder. That’s fair. Jacobs’s 1653 yards was by far the most of his career by over 500 yards. The Raiders seem to be essentially challenging him to do it again with the franchise tag as opposed to signing him to a long term deal.
Other than Jacobs, only Davante Adams was named to the Superstar club among a group of ten wide receivers.
Not sure why the list of Superstars is made up of only offensive skill position plays and one kicker (Justin Tucker), but maybe that’s another list?
