Raiders: A late draft RB could pay dividends for Las Vegas

The Las Vegas Raiders have back-to-back 5th round picks in the 2022 NFL draft, as well as a 6th rounder. Should a running back be considered here if the cards line up?

It’s no secret Raiders have an impressive running back duo of Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake. So, why on earth would Raiders taking a running back in the NFL Draft make sense?

The 2022 NFL draft is deep in many positions, and running back is no exception to that. Players such as Pierre Strong Jr(South Dakota State), Zaquandre White(South Carolina), and Ty Chandler(North Carolina) offer great value and can all be found mocked as mid to late Day 3 picks.

If the opportunity presents itself, Raiders should consider drafting one.

Before we talk about those guys above, let’s address what Vegas is working with. The powerful 220lb Josh Jacobs enjoys running through defenders, and boy is he good at it, making his way to top-6 in total broken tackles last year. He’s also made strides in the receiving game, putting up career highs at virtually every receiving stat.

One thing he isn’t, though, is a speedster.

The average 40 time for an NFL running back is about 4.49. Jacobs clocked around a 4.64 time originally, before coming down to the 4.54 zone. Although a beast in the trenches & open field, Jacobs simply isn’t the guy that’s a threat to take it to the house. What’s more? Jacobs continues to battle injuries throughout his career.