Zamir White

A 2022 fourth-round pick, White actually started ahead of James Cook when the two were at Georgia in 2020-21. Cook was drafted earlier and saw more immediate opportunity in the NFL, but White came on strong late last season after an injury to workhorse Josh Jacobs, who subsequently left for Green Bay in free agency. The Raiders settled for Alexander Mattison as their veteran backfield addition and didn't draft a RB until the sixth round, making it likely White enters Week 1 as the team's starter and best pure runner. Coach Antonio Pierce has made it clear he wants to run the ball a lot -- dating back to his stint as interim coach last year -- and there's a chance that volume could bring the best out of White as he gets the chance to wear down defenses. Where things get more sketchy is on the question of pass-catching production. White appears to be below average as a passing-down back, to the point that even Mattison would likely grade as the better option there. If White isn't getting many targets, his workloads could fluctuate wildly from week to week on a team that's set to start either Gardner Minshew or Aidan O'Connell under center. There's not much question the Raiders want to run a lot, but actually doing so partially depends on being competitive.

White never projected as a viable starter in the NFL, both for skill limitations and even more so because of durability. He plays with a ferocious motor and inflicts punishment on both tacklers and himself, which is why he had trouble staying healthy at Georgia. He had two ACL tears early in his collegiate career and then missed two games late last season with an ankle injury. When White has a lane to hit, his speed usually gets him through, but unfortunately he didn't get much chance to prove that as a 2022 fourth-round pick, taking just 17 carries in 14 games last season. If White can't make it as a rushing specialist in the NFL, he likely won't make it at all because pass-catching is not part of his game. And as long as workhorse Josh Jacobs is healthy, White doesn't figure to see many carries.

White was selected in the fourth round of this year’s draft and could be atop the depth chart for the Raiders as soon as next season with both Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake in the final years of their contracts. White ran a surprising 4.40 40 at the combine, and at Georgia he ran with power while primarily taking carries between the tackles and ceding passing-down work to fellow 2022 draft pick James Cook (Buffalo, Round 2). White's lack of playing time on passing downs may continue in the pros, but the bigger concern is that he's already undergone ACL surgery on both knees. Regardless, the rookie could find himself one injury away from a starting job if he can win a role this summer as Jacobs' backup for early downs.