Zamir White reveals what he will bring to the Las Vegas Raiders backfield
The Las Vegas Raiders added a talented running back in the 2022 NFL Draft, selecting former Georgia Bulldogs back Zamir White in the fourth round. Following his selection, White met with the media, where be broke down what he brings to the Raiders backfield and what he wants to improve on as he transitions from college football to the NFL.
“I’ll say downhill, fast, powerful, quick, make guys miss,” White said of his strengths. “Things I can improve on, probably like transitioning from passing to running, so that type of stuff.”
White was rated as a five-star recruit out of Scotland County High School in North Carolina as the 11th-best overall player and top running back in the 2018 recruiting class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average. Throughout his career at Georgia, White was always surrounded by other talented weapons out of the Bulldogs backfield.
He ran for 408 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman in 2019, and then upped his production to 779 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2020 as a sophomore. This past season, White was a key part of Georgia’s run to winning the National Championship, finishing the year with 856 yards and 11 touchdowns.
White will again have competition, now with the Raiders
After White had to fight for touches in crowded backfields in college, he will be doing the same thing when he joins the Raiders as a rookie. The Raiders have Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake on the roster already, among others in the running back room. But when White arrives to the team, he just wants to continue competing.
“Those are both great backs,” White said. “As far as me coming in and just working and grinding but not worried about all that kind of stuff. Just want to come in and compete. Just have fun and meet those guys. So, that’s all I want to do.”
Even though Jacobs was a first-round pick in 2019, his future with the Raiders is far from certain. Last week, the Raiders declined Jacob’s fifth-year option, putting his future with the team in question. Jacobs has rushed for 1,000 yards twice in his three NFL seasons, both coming in the first two years of his professional career. This past season, he ran for 872 yards and nine touchdowns.
With Jacobs’ fifth-year option being declined, White is in a position to make a large impact rather quickly with the Raiders. If White can impress early on as a rookie, he might truly force the team’s hand when it comes to a decision on Jacobs’ future after this year.