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USA Today
8 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Josh Jacobs' 2024 season was spectacular: Is there still room for improvement in 2025?
Josh Jacobs' 2024 season was spectacular: Is there still room for improvement in 2025? Packers running back Josh Jacobs enjoyed an excellent first season in Green Bay, rediscovering his form after a subdued final year in Las Vegas. He went over 1,400 yards for just the second time in his career and had a career high 17 total touchdowns. By looking under the hood at some more advanced statistics, the level of play Jacobs hit in 2024 can be better understood in the context of his wider career, and the strengths and weaknesses of his overall game can be established. Strengths The core of Jacobs' success in his first year as a Packer was his ability to create yards after contact, both as a runner and a receiver. Among qualified running backs, Jacobs ranked in the 86th percentile for yards after contact per attempt (YCO/A), the 84th percentile in PFF's elusiveness rating (ELU) and the 76th percentile for missed tackles forced per attempt (MTF/A). His YCO/A was a career high 3.49 on the season, and his MTF/A of 0.25 was right behind his career best mark of 0.26. Add in his ability in the passing game, and Jacobs ranked in the 86th percentile for missed tackles forced per touch, as well as leading the league in missed tackles forced after the catch. He did a fantastic job all season of getting more than was blocked for him and added real value. Jacobs' impressive elusiveness in 2024 marked a significant improvement on his career average. His 99.4 rating was the highest since his rookie year and exceeded his average career rating of 70 considerably. He has always had a knack of finding the end zone as a runner, arriving in Green Bay with 46 of them in five years, and this continued with the Packers. Jacobs ranked in the 88th percentile for touchdowns per attempt in 2024, scoring on a career high 5.02% of his carries. The biggest area of improvement for Jacobs after joining the Packers was his contribution in the passing game. Utilizing him more as a receiver is something both he and the team mentioned wanting to do more of, and they backed it up. He was one of the NFL's better receiving threats out of the backfield, ranking in the 86th percentile for yards per reception among qualified backs, the 95th for yards after the catch per reception and the 81st for yards per route run, with career high marks in all three categories. Jacobs did not drop a pass in 2024, having dropped at least three in all of his previous seasons, and finally notched his first receiving touchdown as a pro. Weaknesses There are not many weaknesses to Jacobs' game, but of the few, some are fixable and some are not. Stylistically, Jacobs is simply not an explosive runner or a home run hitter, and he never has been. He ran a 4.64 40-yard dash coming out of Alabama, and using the Relative Athletic Score (RAS) system, had just an "okay" overall speed score and a "poor" explosion score. In 2024 he ranked in the 48th percentile for runs of 10+ yards, or "explosive runs" and the 38th for breakaway percentage (BAY%). These are not terrible marks by any means but highlight the fact he is not an electrifying runner. His BAY% of 22.2% is right in line with his previous career average of 22.18%, and his explosive run rate of 10.66% was actually better than his career average of 9.79%. Speaking to the Green Bay media last week, Jacobs expressed a desire to improve on his ability to break off bigger runs. He said: 'I felt like I left a lot on the table', before explaining 'I had some one on ones, where if I made a person miss or broke a tackle, it was the difference between a 20-yard gain and a 60-yard gain. That's what makes people elite." Whether this is something a runner of Jacob's type and athletic profile can truly improve on going into his seventh year remains to be seen, and seems relatively unlikely, but it is clearly a focus for Jacobs. An aspect he can continue to work on though is protecting the football. Jacobs had a career high five fumbles in 2024, ranking in the 28th percentile in fumbles per attempt. His PFF fumble grade has been just 61.4 over the last two years compared to 74.5 in his first four seasons. Fumbles are similar to drops for receivers in that they are somewhat overrated as a means of analyzing a player's overall performance. Jacobs fumbled on just 1.57% of his carries in 2024. It is still an alarming trend though, and something he needs to hone-in on. Pass protection is not a true weakness for Jacobs by any means; he was more than satisfactory in 2024, but it is an area he can still improve. He ranked in the 44th percentile among qualified backs in pressure rate allowed on snaps with an opportunity to allow a pressure, and allowed more QB hits than any other back with four, although he was above average in pass block efficiency, ranking in the 55th percentile. Again these are not disastrous statistics or anything to worry about, and both of them were worse than his prior career averages, which should give some encouragement that Jacobs can become a stronger blocker in 2025. Overall, Jacobs was one of the best all-around backs in the league last year, and the Packers will want him to mostly just keep up what he has been doing, while continuing to work on taking care of the ball better and being consistent in pass protection. His career numbers suggest he is not likely to become more explosive, but if he gets fewer carries in 2025, with second-year back MarShawn Lloyd working into the mix to give Jacobs a breather, he could become an even more efficient runner. Jacobs worked around his blocking at times in 2024, with the group having a 60.25 run block grade on the year, which is just a tick above average. In that sense, Jacobs has absolutely been worth the money so far for Green Bay. Getting more than what is blocked is technically what teams pay a back to do, and he has done exactly that. According to PFF, of the backs with 4.4 yards per carry (YPC) or better, only two ran behind worse run blocking units than than Jacobs: Tank Bigsby in Jacksonville and De'Von Achane in Miami, and they only had 168 and 203 attempts respectively compared to 319 for Jacobs. The Packers placed an emphasis on bolstering the offensive line this offseason, which is important given the type of runner Jacobs is. Expecting Jacobs to make something out of nothing at the rate he did a year ago might be unrealistic, and he needs to be given something to work with, because the explosive runs are not going to be there to pad his numbers. If Green Bay had settled for a mediocre run blocking unit, they could have set him up for a less effective year like his final one in Vegas, when a poor O-line sold him short all year. A YPC of 4.4 is still good, ranking in the 60th percentile last year, but with more rest and better blocking, it could be even better in 2025, with Jacobs firmly in the prime of his career.
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 NFL draft: Advanced metric says this Bills rookie was 'favorite pick Day 1'
2025 NFL draft: Advanced metric says this Bills rookie was 'favorite pick Day 1' When an advanced metric is used or cited in affirming a player, it can be a good indication of what that individual may contribute in and beyond the numbers. In the case of Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston, whom the Bills selected at No. 30 overall in the first round of the NFL Draft, he has a notable creator of one of those standards of measure in his corner. The mathematician behind the Relative Athletic Score (RAS) had an exciting assessment by way of his test results and advanced metrics upon Hairston being drafted by the Bills. Kent Lee Platte, who created the RAS , spoke about his evaluation of Hairston, following an NFL Combine testing and the Bills' draft selection. "My favorite pick day one in terms of the player, the team fit, and the profile is Maxwell Hairston," said Platte. "I've been higher than him than most, but that's kinda the point. He's a scrappy corner with top-tier athleticism who makes it his business to be all up in his opponents' business." RAS suggests the Bills drafted a physically elite performer, his 9.63 RAS (out of a possible 10.00) ranks 104th-best out of 2,761 cornerback prospects from 1987 through 2025. Though considered slightly undersized at 5-foot-11, has elite athleticism as is evident in his Combine performance. The defensive back ran the fastest 40-yard dash (4.28s) among all players there this year, and his vertical and broad jumps both were Top 3 marks among players at his position. According to RAS, Hairston's composite speed grade is "elite" as is his composite explosion grade. Maxwell Hairston Physical Profile Height: 5' 11"Weight: 183 lbsRAS: 9.63 (10.00)40-yard Dash: 4.2810-yard Split: 1.5Broad Jump: 10' 9"Vertical Jump: 39.5"
USA Today
12-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How closely did Packers stick to draft principles in 2025? What we learned from 8 picks
How closely did Packers stick to draft principles in 2025? What we learned from 8 picks With the Green Bay Packers' scouting philosophy remaining very much the same going all the way back to the days of Ron Wolf, a fairly strong grasp has been established on what the team looks for in terms of athleticism and other traits at various positions during the draft. Every year though, exceptions are made and the boundaries are bent. These departures from the norm can be small or significant, and there were plenty of them this year. In the 2025 draft, Green Bay deviated from their usual standards on seven of their eight picks, but also stuck to their core principles. Here is how the Packers bent their general guidelines this year: WR Matthew Golden Golden had the most limited athletic profile the Packers have drafted in the first round since 2001, only running a 40 and skipping the vert and broad jumps, as well as the agility testing. It seemed more players than ever opted out of some, if not all of the pre-draft testing this year, which likely prompted this exception being made. Many people thought Green Bay would have to care less about athletic testing in general this year due to the widespread lack of testing, with the idea being: 'If you remove all the players who did not test from your board, there will be barely anyone left." That did not really turn out to be the case. Every player the Packers drafted did at least some athletic testing, and although they did take some players with incomplete profiles, they did not draft anyone who skipped the 40-yard dash. Gutekunst talked pre-draft about how skipping testing hurts players more than it helps them, and made it clear it clouds or even changes evaluation of prospects if they do not test. He was true to his word, and athletic testing will continue to be a vital part of Green Bay's draft philosophy. Along those lines, they did not bend on their penchant for taking players with truly elite speed in round one. Since Brian Gutekunst took over as general manager, he has spent nine of his ten first-round picks on players with an "elite" speed grade according to the Relative Athletic Score (RAS) system. Jordan Love is the only exception. Golden also stretched the limits of how small they are willing to go, at least in terms of non-slot receivers. At 5-11 and 191 pounds, he has the smallest height/weight combination of any boundary receiver drafted by Gutekunst, and going back to the Ted Thompson era, he is even smaller than Greg Jennings was coming out of college. Jennings was just over 5-11, and 197 pounds, and was previously the floor for a receiver the Packers have spent premium capital on in the last two decades. Anthony Belton Tipping the scales at 336 pounds, Belton is the heaviest offensive lineman the Packers have drafted by 15 pounds, even going back to the Thompson era. He actually played even heavier in college, and whether Belton actually keeps dropping weight to get closer to Green Bay's usual range in the low 320s remains to be seen. Speaking to the media at rookie minicamp, he mentioned wanting to drop another 10 pounds, but his weight as of now is unknown. The 336-pound listing is from the combine, so whether he has put weight on since then and wants to lose it again, or is still around that weight but wants to get even lighter, is something of a mystery. Rather than the Packers making an exception or changing their preferences though, the lesson from the Belton pick might be that they actually do not care about players being "too heavy." There have been rumors Green Bay would have selected offensive tackle Darnell Wright instead of Lukas Van Ness if he had been there in 2023. Wright, who was drafted by the Bears before the Packers could have a chance at him, is also a big man at 333 pounds. The assumption that has long been made is that Green Bay stays clear of the comically sized offensive tackles, from both a height and weight standpoint, because there is a limit to how big you can be and still be able to bend, play with leverage and potentially kick inside to play guard. This assumption is likely true, but it seems the key factor is height, rather than weight. Belton is 6-6 even, which is tied for the tallest offensive lineman drafted in the Gutekunst/Thompson era, while Wright was just under 6-5 ⅓. As long as they are not too tall, and are good athletes, like Wright was and Belton is, it appears the Packers do not care how heavy they are to an extent. Gutekunst even joked after the draft that he would often be teased in his days as a scout for over-grading guys who had size. For how well those on the outside have nailed down the types of players the Packers like, there will still always be things that are unknown. It seems this is one of those instances, and something to keep in mind in the future, rather than something the team has changed. Savion Williams Contrary to popular belief, the Packers do care about production, especially at the skill positions. Savion Williams is the least productive wide receiver, in terms of production as a true receiver, that Green Bay has drafted in the Gutekunst/Thompson era. He had just 611 receiving yards in his best season. The previous low in a best season was Christian Watson, who had 801 in his final year at North Dakota State. Williams did have some impressive rushing production to make up for it though, having put up 322 yards on the ground, bringing his yards from scrimmage total up to 933 yards, and he also put up 12 total touchdowns in 2024, six through the air and six on the ground. The Swiss army knife role Williams had within the TCU offense, and the supplemental stats that came from it likely eased concerns over his lack of true receiver production. Barryn Sorrell Sorrell has shorter arms than any edge rusher Gutekunst has drafted at 32.5", although they are longer than Clay Matthews' whom Thompson drafted in round one. Collin Oliver If Oliver is viewed as an EDGE, he is a huge outlier for the Packers in terms of size at just under 6-1 ⅔ and 240 pounds. He is 10 pounds lighter than any edge rusher Gutekunst has drafted (although he is the same weight as Matthews) and a full inch shorter, even including the Thompson era, with Nick Perry the previous low. If he is viewed as a linebacker body type however, Oliver does not break any rules, which is possibly what made Green Bay feel comfortable taking him, knowing there is at least the potential for him to play some off-ball linebacker and not just be a designated pass rusher. Warren Brinson Brinson is marginally slower in terms of 40 time and 10-yard split than any defensive tackle Gutekunst has drafted, behind Karl Brooks by 0.01 seconds in the 40 and 0.02 seconds in terms of 10-yard split, both completely negligible differences. Micah Robinson At 183 pounds, Robinson is lighter than any cornerback the Packers have drafted since at least 2011. He is one pound lighter than Shemar Jean-Charles, whom Gutekunst admitted was a big outlier for them. John Williams If Belton had not become the heaviest offensive lineman drafted by Green Bay in the Gutekunst/Thompson era a day earlier, the award would have gone to John Williams, although not by much, as he is just one pound heavier than Sean Rhyan and Derek Sherrod.
USA Today
09-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 NFL draft: RAS scores for the Eagles' 10-player class
2025 NFL draft: RAS scores for the Eagles' 10-player class The 2025 NFL draft is over, and Eagles GM Howie Roseman deserves to be commended for acquiring ten athletic and versatile football players. The draft is over, and after Philadelphia wrapped up rookie minicamp, Eagles GM Howie Roseman must be commended for his athletic and versatile collection of football players. In this draft, Philadelphia focused again on big-game experience and leadership. Every player drafted had spent three years in school or had served as a captain. Most insiders have rated the Eagles highly, and according to Kent Lee Platte of Philadelphia had one of the most explosive classes in the draft. RAS (Relative Athletic Score) measures a player's athletic testing in relation to size and historical results. It's graded on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, and we reviewed the marks for Philadelphia's ten-player class. Rd. 1, No. 31: Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama Campbell was drafted in round 1 with pick 31 in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 9.88 RAS out of a possible 10.00, ranking 41 out of 3203 LBs from 1987 to 2025. Round 2, Pick 64: S Andrew Mukuba, Texas Andrew Mukuba was drafted in round 2, pick 64 in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 5.12 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 591 out of 1209 FS from 1987 to 2025. Round 4, Pick 111: DT Ty Robinson, Nebraska Ty Robinson was drafted in round 4, pick 111 in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 9.89 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 24 out of 2033 DT from 1987 to 2025. Round 5, Pick 145: CB Mac McWilliams, Central Florida Mac McWilliams was drafted in round 5, pick 145 in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 7.38 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 724 out of 2761 CB from 1987 to 2025. Round 5, Pick 161: LB Smael Mondon, Georgia Smael Mondon Jr. was drafted in round 5 with pick 161 in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 9.42 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 187 out of 3203 LB from 1987 to 2025. Round 5, Pick 168: C/G Drew Kendall, Boston College Drew Kendall was drafted in round 5 with pick 168 in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 9.20 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 55 out of 673 OC from 1987 to 2025. Round 6, Pick 181: QB Kyle McCord, Syracuse Kyle McCord was drafted in round 6 with pick 181 in the 2025 draft class. Due to a lack of measurements, he did not qualify for a #RAS. Round 6, Pick 191: T Myles Hinton, Michigan Myles Hinton was drafted in round 6 with pick 191 in the 2025 draft class. Due to a lack of measurements, he did not qualify for a #RAS. Round 6, Pick 207: T Cameron Williams, Texas Cameron Williams was drafted in round 6 with pick 207 in the 2025 draft class. Due to a lack of measurements, he did not qualify for a #RAS. Round 6, Pick 209: OLB Antwaun Powell-Ryland, Virginia Tech Powell-Ryland was drafted in round 6 with pick 209 in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 9.18 RAS out of a possible 10.00, ranking 168 out of 2030 DE from 1987 to 2025.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 NFL draft: RAS scores for new Bengals rookie class
The Cincinnati Bengals made six picks in the 2025 NFL draft, landing on very mixed reviews when it comes to draft grades. Moving forward, one interesting way to gauge the draft class is steering away from outsider opinions and diving into some of the data the team actually looked at while making selections. Advertisement And one of the best overall resources for doing so is looking at the Relative Athletic Score (RAS), created by Kent Lee Platte. The metric combines details like prospect testing and size and compares it to historical data against a given position, with 10 being the highest possible score. The Bengals started right out of the gates with a 10, too. Round 1, No. 17: Texas A&M DE Shemar Stewart RELATED: Bengals undrafted free agency tracker after 2025 NFL draft RELATED: 2025 NFL draft grades: Bengals bashed for mediocre showing Round 2, No. 49: South Carolina LB Demetrius Knight Jr. Round 3, No. 81: Georgia G Dylan Fairchild Round 4, No. 119: Clemson LB Barrett Carter Round 5, No. 153: Miami OL Jalen Rivers Round 6, No. 193: Texas Tech RB Tahj Brooks This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: 2025 NFL draft: RAS scores for new Bengals rookie class
