Raiders Top Five 2020 Opponents by Position: Running Backs

As we look ahead to the 2020 season, we preview the top five players the Raiders will face at every position. Today we look at running backs.

The Raiders coaching staff must be thrilled to have a few of its players report to camp and begin to train for the start of the NFL season.

With a tough schedule upon them, the Raiders hope to take advantage of all the practice time they get and prepare for its opponents.

As we continue to preview the Raiders' top five matchups by position, we will be previewing the top five running backs the Silver and Black will face in the 2020 NFL season.

Going back to last season, the Raiders did a remarkable job stopping the run. The Raiders finished the season ranked as the seventh-best team in rushing defense, allowing 1,272 yards and were the eighth-best in touchdowns allowed by running backs.

One of the places where they ranked poorly on defense was among receiving yards allowed by running backs, ranked 22nd in the league.

General Manager Mike Mayock added some key free agents this offseason to fix a few weak spots on defense.

As the Raiders prepare for another year, here are the top five running backs they will be facing this year.

At No. 5 we have New York Jets running back Le'Veon Bell. Bell returned to the NFL after sitting out a year, playing 15 games, rushing for 789 yards, and catching passes for 461 yards. His patient running style and versatility make him a dangerous target to opposing defenses. Last year's game with the Jets did not go well, so expect the Raiders to prepare for Bell for their Week 13 meeting. With a year under his back, Bell hopes to return to form and be the explosive back he was with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

At No. 4, is Austin Ekeler of the Los Angles Chargers. During Melvin Gordon's absence at the beginning of last season, Ekeler stepped as the leading back for the Bolts, rushing for 557 yards and receiving for 993 yards. According to PFF, Ekeler received an 85.2 offensive grade, fourth among eligible running backs. The Chargers' offense seemed better off with Ekeler, and with Gordon and Phillip Rivers off the team, expect Ekeler to be productive all year long. The Raider will see Ekler twice again this year, in Weeks 9 and 15.

There's so much we can say about No. 3, Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints. After posting career-highs in 2018, Kamara took a little step back last season. Kamara was never fully healthy for the 2019 NFL season, missing two games early due to ankle and knee injuries, and played through the rest of the season injured. In 14 games, he still managed to rush for 797 yards with five touchdowns, and caught 81 passes for 533 yards and one touchdown. When healthy, Kamara is considered a favorite for the NFL's MVP award. The Raiders will see him early in Week 2 in their season opener in Las Vegas. If Kamara is healthy, expect him  to be a threat for the entire game.

At No. 2 is Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders will face the No. 1-graded running back in Week 8, and that's according to PFF, which gave him an 88.7 offensive grade and 90.3 running grade. The power back finished the season second in rushing yards with 1,494 yards. Chubb is similar to Raiders' runniing back Josh Jacobs--strong, elusive, and hard to bring down. If you like the running game, you better mark down this game on your calendar.

At No. 1 is none other than Christian McCaffrey of the Carolina Panthers, the most versatile running back in the league. The Raiders will have their first real test on defense, as they take on McCaffrey in Week 1 at Carolina. McCaffrey finished third in rushing yards with 1,387 last season and first in receiving yards by a running back with 1,005 yards. He is a touchdown machine who came in third with 15 rushing touchdowns and four receiving touchdowns. PFF has McCaffrey with the third-highest offensive grade at 86.6 and EA Sports recently named McCaffrey a member of Madden 99 Club, given to the players who receive a 99 overall rating.

Others notable running backs who missed the list are Todd Gurley of the Atlanta Falcons and Kareem Hunt of the Cleveland Browns.

The Raiders defense did an excellent job a year ago stopping the run, and are expected to progress in that defensive category.

Aside from McCaffrey and Chubb, the rest of the running backs seem to need a bit more time to adjust to their offenses and return to their old form after being down a year ago by injuries.

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