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Is Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs still an elite player?
Jacobs fell out of the top 10 and landed among the honorable mentions in ESPN's rankings of NFL running backs entering the 2026 season. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler used ballots from over 70 voters consisting of executives, coaches and scouts to create the rankings, position by position.
Jacobs ranked seventh among running backs entering 2024 and sixth entering 2025. Although he scored 14 total touchdowns, Jacobs labored through an injury plagued 2025 season, and he averaged only 4.0 yards per carry, didn't have a 100-yard rushing game and finished with under 1,000 rushing yards.
Now 28 years old with over 2,000 career touches in the NFL, Jacobs is seen as a good player who might be starting the slowdown that often hits running backs after years of pounding in the pros.
From one NFC executive: "Still a really quality back but has probably slowed down slightly. Can still hit singles and doubles but not a lot of home runs as far as explosive plays. Still really good between the tackles."
The singles and doubles comment hits the nail on the head -- Jacobs didn't have a run longer than 40 yards in 2025, and he finished the 2025 season with only 10 runs of 15 or more yards, per PFF. While excellent at creating in tight spaces, Jacobs lacks long speed and is no longer a home run threat as a runner.
However, PFF still ranked Jacobs as the fourth best running back by overall grade. He forced 48 missed tackles and finished with the fourth highest receiving grade among running backs, and much of his poor average was due to inconsistent run blocking from an offensive line with a lot of moving pieces last year.
The Packers could certainly use a bounce-back season from Jacobs, the offensive line and the run game in 2026.
Atlanta's Bijan Robinson, Detroit's Jahmyr Gibbs and Philadelphia's Saquon Barkley made up the top three. The Packers will face Robinson and Gibbs in 2026.
Three players -- De'Von Achane, Kenneth Walker III and Breece Hall -- jumped into the top 10 this year, helping knock Jacobs down to an honorable mention.
Off the field, Jacobs is still under investigation for a June incident that led to his arrest in Brown County. He has not been formally charged, but any future charges could impact his availability for the 2026 season.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers RB Josh Jacobs drops out of top 10 NFL RBs list entering 2026
Continue reading...
Jacobs fell out of the top 10 and landed among the honorable mentions in ESPN's rankings of NFL running backs entering the 2026 season. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler used ballots from over 70 voters consisting of executives, coaches and scouts to create the rankings, position by position.
Jacobs ranked seventh among running backs entering 2024 and sixth entering 2025. Although he scored 14 total touchdowns, Jacobs labored through an injury plagued 2025 season, and he averaged only 4.0 yards per carry, didn't have a 100-yard rushing game and finished with under 1,000 rushing yards.
Now 28 years old with over 2,000 career touches in the NFL, Jacobs is seen as a good player who might be starting the slowdown that often hits running backs after years of pounding in the pros.
From one NFC executive: "Still a really quality back but has probably slowed down slightly. Can still hit singles and doubles but not a lot of home runs as far as explosive plays. Still really good between the tackles."
The singles and doubles comment hits the nail on the head -- Jacobs didn't have a run longer than 40 yards in 2025, and he finished the 2025 season with only 10 runs of 15 or more yards, per PFF. While excellent at creating in tight spaces, Jacobs lacks long speed and is no longer a home run threat as a runner.
However, PFF still ranked Jacobs as the fourth best running back by overall grade. He forced 48 missed tackles and finished with the fourth highest receiving grade among running backs, and much of his poor average was due to inconsistent run blocking from an offensive line with a lot of moving pieces last year.
The Packers could certainly use a bounce-back season from Jacobs, the offensive line and the run game in 2026.
Atlanta's Bijan Robinson, Detroit's Jahmyr Gibbs and Philadelphia's Saquon Barkley made up the top three. The Packers will face Robinson and Gibbs in 2026.
Three players -- De'Von Achane, Kenneth Walker III and Breece Hall -- jumped into the top 10 this year, helping knock Jacobs down to an honorable mention.
Off the field, Jacobs is still under investigation for a June incident that led to his arrest in Brown County. He has not been formally charged, but any future charges could impact his availability for the 2026 season.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers RB Josh Jacobs drops out of top 10 NFL RBs list entering 2026
Continue reading...
