The Las Vegas Raiders barely made the playoffs last season, which was one of the more turbulent seasons a team could have. They fired Jon Gruden, their star first-round wide receiver killed a woman, and just a few weeks later, their first-round cornerback threatened to kill someone, causing his release. It was such a nightmare year that you have to hand it to Derek Carr and Rich Bisaccia for handing it together. Now, they have Josh McDaniels at the helm, and they rewarded Carr with his college wide receiver (Davante Adams, you’ve probably heard of him). They also took two running backs in the 2022 NFL Draft. What can we expect from these guys in their rookie years?
FULL LAS VEGAS RAIDERS DRAFT RESULTS
| Rd. | Pick | Player | Pos. | College |
| 3 | 90 | Dylan Parham | OL | Memphis |
| 4 | 122 | Zamir White | RB | Georgia |
| 4 | 126 | Neil Farrell | DT | LSU |
| 5 | 175 | Matthew Butler | DT | Tennessee |
| 7 | 238 | Thayer Munford | OL | Ohio St. |
| 7 | 250 | Brittain Brown | RB | UCLA |
Round 4, Pick 122 Overall: Zamir White, Running Back, Georgia (6’0” 214 lbs)
Depth Chart
RB1: Josh Jacobs
RB2: Kenyan Drake
RB3: Zamir White
RB4: Brandon Bolden
RB5: Brittain Brown
TALENT
If I had to describe any given trait of White’s, I would probably describe it as “good.” He has good vision, suddenness, elusiveness, pass blocking ability, tenaciousness, and speed. He’s not great at any one thing but he is highly proficient at a lot of things. White is a versatile runner who is good at getting what the defense and offensive line provide for him, but he isn’t a massive value add. His best traits are his contact balance and strength, but he lacks the long speed of Tyler Badie or Kenneth Walker (despite his 40-yard dash). Ultimately, he profiles as a two-down banger in the NFL.
2022 OPPORTUNITY
The Raiders likely drafted White to move on from Josh Jacobs after the 2022 season. I expect him to cap out as a 1B to Jacobs, despite being a more dynamic version of Jacobs pending any sort of injury. Think a poor man’s version of Javonte Williams & Melvin Gordon. White is a less well-rounded running back than Kenyan Drake, who is coming off of an injury and still on the depth chart, and there’s nothing in his profile that screams bell cow. He’s likely going to be a hard runner who wows in his limited opportunity without pushing Josh Jacobs for the 1A role.
2022 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
In a deep, non-PPR league, he will have some weekly flex appeal because he’s likely to get eight touches. But, without Josh Jacobs succumbing to injury, I don’t see him doing much. Should Jacobs fall, then get Zamir White on your rosters. He profiles as nearly the same running back as Jacobs (though faster) because his pass-catching ability leaves a lot to be desired, meaning his transition into the full-time role shouldn’t be too difficult. At the same time, that limits his upside without a Jacobs injury. So it’s a real Catch-22 if you’re looking to draft White; he’s good, but not that good, and he’s good in the same way the starter is good.
TALENT
2022 OPPORTUNITY
2022 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
Round 7, Pick 250 Overall: Brittain Brown, Running Back, UCLA (6’1” 205 lbs)
Depth Chart
RB1: Josh Jacobs
RB2: Kenyan Drake
RB3: Zamir White
RB4: Brandon Bolden
RB5: Brittain Brown
TALENT
Brown is not fast, he’s not particularly strong, and he doesn’t really catch passes. He’s just a guy, who doesn’t really have a standout feature on offense. Plus, he turns 25 in October. There isn’t really anything here to evaluate. Everything just tells me “no.”
2022 OPPORTUNITY
Brown doesn’t really catch passes, he doesn’t really carry the ball a ton, and he doesn’t really return kicks or punts. I’m not entirely sure what the Raiders were doing here, because there are probably a half-dozen Brittain Browns that were available as UDFAs after the draft.
2022 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
I told myself I wouldn’t do one-word responses so I am going to make this a whole sentence before I tell you that the outlook is bleak.
TALENT
2022 OPPORTUNITY
2022 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
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