Oakland Raiders running back Josh Jacobs was named the Pro Football Writers of America’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, the PFWA announced Tuesday.
The honor is a big one but does not come as much of a surprise as Jacobs was outstanding in his first NFL season with the Raiders. Oakland selected him in the first round out of Alabama, where he was never featured as an every-down back.
The Raiders made sure to change that, making him their workhorse since the start of training camp, and he proved why he was worthy of being a first-round pick.
Jacobs missed a few games due to a shoulder injury that he also played through for a majority of the season. He started in all of his 13 appearances though, carrying the ball 242 times for 1,150 yards and seven touchdowns, adding 20 receptions for 166 yards.
He becomes the second player in franchise history to be named Offensive Rookie of the Year, joining Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen. Jacobs also became the first Raiders rookie to rush for 1,000 yards, surpassing Allen’s rookie record of 697 yards.
Leading all rookies in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and scrimmage yards per game (101.2), Jacobs was Oakland’s biggest offensive weapon in 2019. Look for him to build off of that in 2020 as the team gets ready to move to Las Vegas.
The PFWA is made up of accredited writers who cover the NFL and the 32 teams daily. They also released the 2019 All-Rookie team, and Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby was a surprise snub.
