getty-saquon-barkley-giants.jpg
Getty Images

On the surface, the last team you'd expect Josh Jacobs to sign with was the Packers. But here's the reality: Aaron Jones will be 30 years old this December, missed six full games in 2023 and parts of three others. His inflated salary cap number this year made it easy for the Packers to move in a new, exciting direction.

And this direction is very new and exciting.

With Jones (and thunderback A.J. Dillon) no longer in the Packers' plans, we're looking at Green Bay giving Jacobs the majority of the rushing workload, a humongous boon for the 26-year-old who's been used to that kind of touch share from his time with the Raiders. In five seasons, Jacobs played at least 13 games five times and averaged 17.9 rush attempts and 2.7 receptions per game.

Jacobs is a fit in that he can run in the Packers' zone scheme and also work as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. He's virtually of the same skill set as Jones except he's 20 pounds heavier and over three years younger.

He's also a winner near the goal line. Over the past two seasons, Jacobs had a much higher success rate on runs inside the 5-yard line (45.5%) than Jones (20%) and Dillon (30%). Jacobs had five times as many short-yardage rushing touchdowns than Jones (10 to 2) and almost twice as many as Dillon (10 to 6).

And considering that the Packers ran for just 10 touchdowns in 2023 (four by Jordan Love, two by Jayden Reed!), Jacobs makes all the sense in the world as a touchdown solver for the Packers. It's a role he should thrive in.

There's just one problem: The NFL season doesn't start for another six months, leaving the Packers with plenty of time to pluck another running back, be it in free agency or the NFL Draft.

But I wouldn't expect a splash -- the Jacobs signing suggests the team will try to roll with him to the same level as the Raiders did. And that might sound kind of foreign since it's been a while since the Packers under current head coach Matt LaFleur leaned on one guy. But in 2019 Jones had 285 touches with Jamaal Williams adding 146; the year after Jones had 248 touches in 14 games to Williams' 150. I suspect that's the range we're looking at here with Jacobs and whoever joins him in the backfield.

And running backs with that kind of workload just aren't as available as they used to be. Expect Jacobs to be viewed as a top 20 pick, if not top 15. Maybe even as high as 12th in non-PPR.

This feels like an attempt by the Packers to go on a title run. They have a young quarterback, a younger group of potentially excellent receivers and several capable offensive linemen (they'll draft more).

Adding a back of Jacobs' caliber only makes the offense tougher to defend.