Daily Times

Breece Hall sees where Christian McCaffrey is at in his NFL career and ponders the possibilities.

The New York Jets running back is entering his third season as one of the league’s top players at his position. But his ultimate goal is to be as consistently productive and dominant as McCaffrey, the San Francisco 49ers’ do-at-all backfield star.

“I feel like right now, McCaffrey´s the best in the league,” Hall said after the Jets’ first minicamp practice on Tuesday. “And to me, he sets the standard.”

The 23-year-old Hall bounced back from a torn ACL in his left knee in Week 7 of what was shaping up to be a special rookie season and rushed for 994 yards and five touchdowns last year. He also led NFL running backs with 76 catches for 591 yards and four scores.

“He´s still a top-10 player in this league,” Hall said of McCaffrey. “I feel like with my talent and the team we have, I have potential to trend toward that way. So I´m just excited to get rolling.” Hall has been limited this offseason by what coach Robert Saleh has called “some lower half stuff,” and the team is having the running back work with trainers during practice sessions.

“I could practice right now,” Hall said. “I feel great, but the coaches are real cautious with me. And I appreciate them for that.”

That’s because the Jets need Hall to be healthy in September, when the regular season starts. He’s the engine that drives the offense behind quarterback Aaron Rodgers and wide receiver Garrett Wilson, and he’s only beginning to scratch the surface of the impact he can make on a weekly basis.