With Josh Jacobs still holding out, the Raiders have turned to second-year RB Zamir White to be their lead back. And so far, the results have been very positive.
After not getting a ton of work as a rookie, White appears to have made a big leap in Year 2. He looks more confident than ever as he could be in for a much bigger role during the 2023 season.
In a recent article by Tashan Reed of The Athletic, he wrote about the growth of White during this training camp. Not only is he improving as a blocker and as a receiver, but his overall running ability has significantly improved. Here is a snippet of what Reed had to say about the second-year back from Georgia:
White is still a work in progress as a receiver, but he’s improved as a pass blocker and looks to be far more decisive as a ball carrier. The timing of his growth is prescient considering Jacobs’ ongoing absence as he refuses to sign the franchise tag. Since OTAs, White has been operating as the lead back in the offense. The Raiders want Jacobs back as soon as possible, but they believe White is capable of filling that role if need be.
With each day that goes by, it becomes more likely that White could be the team’s starting running back for Week 1. And even if Jacobs does return sometime this month, it’s fair to expect the Raiders to give White some work as a complementary player this year.
White is going to have a role in this offense. But just how that role is will depend on if and when Jacobs returns to the field.
