Raiders' Josh Jacobs: Not assured of passing-down work

Jacobs will face competition for pass-catching work from Jalen Richard and rookie Lynn Bowden, ESPN.com's Paul Gutierrez reports.

Jacobs' receiving and blocking skills were oft-mentioned as a positive coming out of Alabama, but he was mostly used as an early down grinder throughout his rookie season, with 242 carries and 27 targets on 460 offensive snaps. He was in the top 10 among qualified rushers in broken tackle rate and average yards after contact, finishing eighth in rushing yards despite missing three games in December with a shoulder injury. Jacobs has had plenty of time to recover during the offseason, but his progression as a fantasy asset could be stalled if Raiders coach Jon Gruden prefers Richard and/or Bowden on passing downs. The team did lose DeAndre Washington's 108 carries and 41 targets from 2019, though half those carries and 46 percent of the targets came in the three games Jacobs missed.