Dominate the Super Bowl-Chapter 969 - 968 vying for beauty

"...Josh Jacobs..."

Oh yeah!

In Miami, at Levi’s villa, Mahomes, Kelsey, and the others watched as Levi and Ronnie Clark raised their arms high, standing up enthusiastically, openly cheering without hiding their inner joy and happiness.

Kelsey shook his head repeatedly, "Hey, he’s going to be a Raider next. A Raider! Our enemy!"

Levi didn’t care at all, "Jacobs is a first-round pick, hoo hoo hoo, Jacobs is a first-round pick!"

Mahomes laughed heartily with delight, "Once a Crimson Tide Storm, always a Crimson Tide Storm."

Clark turned around and looked at them, "Don’t worry, back in college, this rookie crushed Josh a hundred times over, and it’ll be the same now in the League."

Meanwhile, standing under the spotlight holding up his Oakland Raiders #1 fan jersey, Jacobs showed a shy smile but still took a deep breath, mustered his courage, looked straight into the camera lens, extended his right index finger and pointed ahead, radiating full confidence and swagger.

Roar, roar, roar!

The Oakland Raiders fans on-site erupted with passion, thinking that Jacobs was greeting them.

However, only those truly in the know could understand.

Like Clark.

Clark widened his eyes in disbelief and looked at Levi, "Rookie, Josh just sent you a challenge!"

Levi burst into hearty laughter, "That’s the spirit. Back then, whenever Josh heard Henry’s name, he’d tremble and practically worship him. If they actually faced off on the field, it’d probably be a disaster; now he finally gets it, we’re rivals, not idols to admire."

"Looks like the divisional matchups for the new season will be even more exciting."

Levi. Clark. Jacobs.

From those carefree days of fighting side by side, through twists and turns, they’re set to reunite in this new way—it’s truly unexpected, isn’t it?

Perhaps life is always full of farewells and sorrow, but likewise, it’s also full of reunions and joy.

When they meet again, they can see the traces of each other’s pursuit of their dreams and share snippets of what happened throughout these years.

Then, as rivals, as fellow competitors, continue chasing their dreams.

Josh Jacobs, University of Alabama Crimson Tide Storm running back, this label alone is sufficient—

Following Henry and Levi, the third running back in four years from this traditional football powerhouse to enter the League.

Henry, though he struggled during his rookie season, has seen his performance soar in his sophomore and junior years. The nickname "Emperor Henry" has spread widely throughout the League, even though his fame might not quite match Barkley, McCaffrey, or Gurley; but undoubtedly, he is forging his own path forward.

This season, Henry broke into the Top 100 Players list for the first time, ranked at 99th.

Meanwhile, Levi requires no introduction; currently the hottest player in the entire League, all stemming from Alabama’s running backs coach Burns’ keen eye.

The bustling attention had all gathered on Jacobs.

In truth, Jacobs had stood in the spotlight since Rookie Training Camp began; the halo of "Henry + Levi" shone too brightly, attracting a lot of fire toward him.

Nonetheless, Jacobs handled the pressure, with scouts and teams widely believing he had first-round potential, possibly the best running back of this year.

Rumor has it that the Kansas City Chiefs were highly interested in Jacobs; they wouldn’t mind seeing a reunion with Levi, recreating the Crimson Tide Storm’s undefeated run of 2016 with their running back duo.

The Oakland Raiders took the bait.

The entire League has their eyes on Levi.

On one hand, everyone says no running back can sustain high-frequency production; Levi has delivered back-to-back stellar seasons, and a decline or dip in his third season is inevitable.

Running backs, after all, are consumables.

On the other hand, attention keeps gravitating to Levi. Similar pessimistic remarks were heard during his rookie and sophomore seasons, yet they were repeatedly proven wrong—haven’t they learned their lesson by now?

Levi is, without a doubt, the current benchmark for running backs in the League.

Now, with another running back from Alabama Crimson Tide Storm entering the League, and Oakland Raiders—still haunted by Levi’s dominance—not missing out on Jacobs, it became the spark for a potential three-way Kansas City Chiefs trade to kickstart.

Ultimately, the Oakland Raiders used the 24th pick in the first round to select Josh Jacobs!

"Jacobs VS Levi," next season’s AFC West divisional matchups already have their storyline set. The legendary rivalry between the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders will continue next season, even if it might mark the final season of battles between Oakland and Kansas as cities.

Meanwhile, Jacobs is also the only running back selected in the first round of the 2019 draft—

Unique. A true spectacle.

Those gloating internet commentators couldn’t hold back: What happened to the running back resurgence? What happened to Levi redefining the League?

In response, experts advised, relax, relax, Rome wasn’t built in a day. The decline in running backs’ status wasn’t a matter of one or two seasons; likewise, running backs proving themselves again won’t reverse overnight in one offseason; there’s no need to hastily jump to conclusions.

Moreover, the average talent level of this year’s rookies was notably underwhelming. After witnessing top-tier talents like Levi and Barkley in recent drafts, how could teams easily compromise with those of average ability?

Although Jacobs ended up as the only first-round running back, in reality across the entire draft, a total of 28 running backs were selected, second only to the 32 cornerbacks. It’s the draft’s second-most chosen position this year, outnumbering both tackles and wide receivers.

From this data, it’s evident that regardless of outward appearances, the importance of running backs and ground attacks is quietly regaining traction.

On another note, there’s also the New York Giants, who made three moves on the first day—

Sixth pick, quarterback, Daniel Jones.

Seventeenth pick, defensive tackle, Dexter Lawrence.

Thirtieth pick, cornerback, Deandre Baker.

League: Huh?

Let’s be honest, the fact that the New York Giants managed to snag Dexter Lawrence, a talented, plug-and-play defensive tackle at the 17th pick, is unquestionably a steal.

But still, from quarterback to defensive tackle to cornerback, what kind of draft strategy is this?

It’s not unheard of for teams to cast a wide net while addressing both offensive and defensive gaps in the draft, but considering the New York Giants’ roster riddled with holes, wouldn’t it be better to focus on boosting offensive group’s immediate combat power? Their draft strategy is completely inscrutable right now.

John Mara was nearly pulled back into the venue after leaving, because not only did he have to welcome their second first-round pick, but also their third.

And the surprises kept on coming.

After wrapping up the entire four-hour-long first day of the draft, Mara could hardly keep his poker face, almost breaking character.

So, is the New York Giants planning to use quantity to make up for quality and compete for the spotlight against Oakland Raiders?