No. 4 — Josh Jacobs

The Green Bay Packers went 11-6 last season, sweeping the NFC West and the AFC South along the way.

Overall, though, no one in the building was happy.

The Packers failed to build on their terrific finish to the 2023 campaign, settled for the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoffs, and lost a Wild Card game to eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia.

Afterwards, general manager Brian Gutekunst turned up the heat on everybody in the building.

“We need to continue to ramp up our sense of urgency,” Gutekunst said. “I think it’s time we started competing for championships.”

Those are fair expectations.

The Packers return 20 of 22 starters, and appear to have upgraded the roster via free agency and the draft. With several third and fourth year players trending upward, Green Bay should be poised to make a move.

“I think they’re ready,” Gutekunst said.

Now, it’s time for the Packers to prove their G.M. right.

Green Bay’s first training camp practice is July 23. Between now and then I will count down the ‘30 Most Important Packers’ heading into the 2025 campaign.

At No. 4 is running back Josh Jacobs.

No. 4

Josh Jacobs, RB

Last season

Jacobs finished sixth in the NFL in rushing yards last season (1,329), averaged 4.4 yards per carry and had 16 total touchdowns (15 rushing). His rushing yards were the fifth most in a single season in team history and his rushing TDs tied for third-most in a season.

According to TruMedia, Jacobs ranked third in the league with 1,080 yards after contact — a whopping 81.3% of his total yards. Jacobs also ranked 10^th in the league in explosive runs (12 yards or more) with 23.

In addition, Jacobs caught 36 passes for 342 yards (9.5 average) and a touchdown.

Thanks in large part to Jacobs, the Packers finished fifth in the league in rushing yards per game (146.8) and Jacobs was named to the Pro Bowl for the third time in his six-year career.

Career to date

Jacobs ranks No. 2 in the NFL in rushing yards (6,874), rushing TDs (61) and yards from scrimmage (8,664) since entering the league in 2019.

Jacobs is just one of seven players in NFL history to have 1,100-plus yards and six-plus rushing touchdowns in each of his first six seasons. The others are Emmitt Smith, Ricky Watters, Adrian Peterson, LaDaianian Tomlinson, Eric Dickerson and Ezekiel Elliott.

Jacobs compiled 5,545 rushing yards and 46 rushing touchdowns during his five seasons with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders. He also had 197 receptions for 1,448 yards (7.4 yards per catch) in that time.

Jacobs was an All-Pro selection in 2020 when he ran for 1,065 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also earned All-Pro honors in 2022 when he had the finest year of his career (1,653 rushing yards, 12 TDs).

Jacobs was also named the Pro Football Writers Association’s Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 after setting a franchise rookie rushing record with 1,150 yards.

Outlook

Jacobs carried the ball a whopping 301 times last season, the sixth most in football and the sixth most in franchise history. Don’t be shocked if those numbers go up.

Green Bay ran the ball on 52.3% of its plays last season — the first time the Packers ran the ball more than they threw it since 2003 (51.7%). Then Green Bay got bigger up front by signing 325-pound guard Aaron Banks, drafting guard Anthony Belton (6-6, 335) and moving guard Elgton Jenkins to center.

Jacobs has proven throughout his career he can handle the punishment of a 17-game season. He became the focal point of the offense in the second half of 2024 and that’s unlikely to change in 2025.

The only reason he isn’t higher on this list is Green Bay has impressive depth at the running back position.

“That’s one guy that I don’t worry about is Josh Jacobs,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “That guy is an animal. He is a dog and a dog competitor.”

They Said It …

“The guy is a dawg, not just in the way he carries the ball, but also just his presence. It’s one of the things that we talk about in our room, being around really good running backs, they have a presence about them on the field that kind of permeates throughout the team through their game play as well as when they’re in the locker room. Because besides the quarterback, you’re touching the ball probably more than anybody else out there, so you can affect the emotions of the team more than anybody else. So he’s been everything that we would hope for and definitely the engine for us offensively.” — Packers running backs coach Ben Sirmans on Jacobs

“He finishes every run. I think when the players see the way in which he finishes every run and finishes every catch and the way in which he starts the practice in his individual drills, I think when the other players see that, it becomes contagious, right?” — Packers special teams coach Rich Bisaccia on Jacobs

“I had like 300-some yards called back (via penalty), but not only that, there were a few plays where I had some one-on-ones where if I made a person miss or broke that tackle, it was the difference between a 20-yard gain and a 60-yard gain. So them little things like that, I feel like that’s what makes people elite. So that’s the thing I’ve tried to come in the offseason and work on.” — Jacobs on his 2024 season

THE TOP 30

• No. 30 — RB MarShawn Lloyd

• No. 29 — WR Dontayvion Wicks

• No. 28 — S Javon Bullard

• No. 27 — WR Savion Williams

• No. 26 — LB Isaiah McDuffie

• No. 25 — OL Jordan Morgan

• No. 24 — WR Matthew Golden

• No. 23 — CB Carrington Valentine

• No. 22 — WR Romeo Doubs

• No. 21 — QB Malik Willis

• N0. 20 — DE Lukas Van Ness

• No. 19 — RG Sean Rhyan

• No. 18 — LT Rasheed Walker

• No. 17 — DT Devonte Wyatt

• No. 16 — S Evan Williams

• No. 15 — CB Nate Hobbs

• No. 14 — LB Quay Walker

• No. 13 — OL Aaron Banks

• No. 12 — CB Keisean Nixon

• No. 11 — K Brandon McManus

• No. 10 — TE Tucker Kraft

• No. 9 — WR Jayden Reed

• No. 8 — DT Kenny Clark

• No. 7 — RT Zach Tom

• No. 6 — Elgton Jenkins

• No. 5 — DE Rashan Gary