The Las Vegas Raiders drafted Zamir White in the fourth round of the 2022 draft and Brittain Brown in the sixth round. After signing Brandon Bolden and Amir Abdullah in free agency and Sincere McCormick as a UDFA, the position is loaded heading into training camp.
The life of an NFL running back
Josh Jacobs has long said that he wants to be a leader and is ready and willing to do anything and everything to help his team win. He has done and/or said nothing that would prove the contrary. Last offseason, he, Maxx Crosby, and Clelin Ferrell got matching Raiders shield tattoos. He rallied the team in the final stretch of the season.
Jacobs literally carried the team on his back for four yards or more at a time. In his final five games of the season, he averaged 91.8 yards per carry and added three touchdowns. He finished the 2021 campaign with 872 yards and nine touchdowns. However, Pro Football Focus graded him out to be the 13th best running back in 2021. The lowest of his career.
So there’s that, and Jacobs hinted that Jon Gruden’s player burnout is very real. Once the season ended, Rich Bisaccia did not get the permanent head coaching job, ending that regime. So, after the new brass came in, Jacobs’ place on the roster was instantly in jeopardy.
Now, the question becomes how he feels about the direction the team has gone in. His fifth-year option was declined prior to the draft. The Raiders drafted another national championship-winning running back. Do we expect Jacobs to suddenly morph into Derrick Henry? No, but when it’s a contract year and it’s your job to both show the rookie the ropes and secure your own position, that can be challenging.
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