Raiders looking for strong one-two punch with Alabama running backs
The Las Vegas Raiders have a talented running back duo in Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake. The two former Alabama stars are looking to make a big impact together on the Raiders offense. Jacobs and Drake are two of five Raiders players to play college football at Alabama.
The Raiders signed Drake in the offseason to pair with Jacobs in the running back room
After accounting for 1,495 rushing yards and 570 receiving yards with 22 total touchdowns at Alabama, Drake was selected in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. He played in parts of four seasons with Miami before heading to the Arizona Cardinals during the 2019 season.
Last season, Drake got his first opportunity to be a lead back in the NFL. He accounted for 1,092 total yards and 10 touchdowns in 15 games with Arizona.
Jacobs played three years at Alabama, totaling 2,062 total yards and 21 touchdowns. He was selected 24th overall by the Raiders in 2019. Jacobs has run for 1,000 yards in each of his first two NFL seasons. Last season, he ran for 1,065 yards and 12 touchdowns.
In the offseason, the Raiders signed Drake to a two-year, $11 million contract. In doing so, they added a different dynamic to the running back room and gave Jacobs a dangerous running mate.
Jacobs is excited about having Drake in the backfield
After a highly productive rookie season, Jacobs regressed in terms of yardage and yards per carry last season. The Raiders adding competition to the backfield doesn’t bother Jacobs. Instead, he is excited to see what he and Drake can accomplish together.
“Man, I mean the sky’s the limit, honestly,” Jacobs said via Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “You see a lot of guys creating a lot of plays. You see Kenyan catching a lot of balls out of the backfield, making some good runs, and things like that. I think if we stay healthy it’s going to be a special year for both of us.”
In signing Drake, the Raiders add a pass-catching threat to the backfield to pair with more of a pure rusher in Jacobs. Jalen Richard is also still in line to have a role in the Raiders running back room.
Jacobs and Drake are two of five former Alabama players on the Raiders roster as currently constructed. Guard Lester Cotton Sr., offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood and wide receiver Henry Ruggs III are also on the roster. Leatherwood was selected in this summer’s NFL Draft to try and help rebuild the Raiders’ offensive line. Ruggs appears to be in line for a major role in his second season, and he could develop into a top wideout this year.