The Las Vegas Raiders managed to strike gold in the 2019 NFL Draft with a strong foundation of young talent on both sides of the ball.
On offense, running back Josh Jacobs was able to fit the billing as a first-round pick by emerging as a bonafide workhorse. Meanwhile, defensive end Maxx Crosby proved to be quite the steal as a force on the edge after being taken in the fourth round.
Despite missing some games down the stretch, Jacobs established himself as the frontrunner for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year while serving as the central force of the Raiders offense. Crosby is now doing what he can to make sure it comes to fruition.
Crosby recently gave a strong endorsement for Jacobs to unanimously take home the award, via the team’s official website:
“Josh Jacobs can run the ball, he can catch the ball, he runs downhill, he has over 1,000 yards, and he missed three games,” Raiders teammate Maxx Crosby explained. “He had seven-plus touchdowns. I can go on and on. He’s a special player. I knew since literally the first day of practice when he got the ball in his hands, it just looks like second nature to him. It’s a runaway to me. I think it should be unanimous that he wins [Offensive Rookie of the Year], but we’ll see what happens, but I’m knocking on the table for Josh, for sure.”
It is certainly encouraging to see Crosby coming to bat for a teammate that is deserving of such an honor. Aside from the immediate impact both players have made on the field, they each have been an integral part of the strong locker room culture head coach Jon Gruden has tried to usher in since his arrival.
Fortunately, it is safe to say that Crosby has good reason to be optimistic about Jacobs’ chances. He finished the 2019 NFL season with the eighth-most rushing yards (1,150) and seven touchdowns on 4.8 yards per carry despite missing three games with a shoulder injury.
Unfortunately, Jacobs’ injury has seemingly allowed Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, Philadelphia Eagles running back Myles Sanders and Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown to make their way into the conversation. Murray led quite the turnaround on offense for the Cardinals while the resurgence from Sanders and Brown down the stretch was magnified by the Eagles and Titans reaching the postseason.
Although Crosby may not be up for any awards, he still served as one of the few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing 2019 campaign for the Raiders after registering 47 tackles, 10 sacks, four forced fumbles, and four pass deflections. Regardless of whether or not Jacobs wins the award, fans can take solace in the fact that this team has secured some valuable pieces to usher in a new era.
