Raiders NFL Draft: Late running back selection still makes sense for Las Vegas
The Silver and Black have some great options
One of the great things about this draft is, on paper, there will likely be a multitude of talented running backs to choose from later on.
One of those potential options is South Dakota State’s Pierre Strong Jr. I talk a lot about the Raiders’ receiver room not having much speed, but the running back unit isn’t much different in that regard. The average 40-time for a running back is 4.49, and outside of Kenyan Drake, whose future after this upcoming year is up in the air, no other back is particularly close to meeting that mark.
Strong Jr., on the other hand, clocked a 4.37 40-time.
The South Dakota State back is a decent pass blocker who has potential in the passing game as well. He’s explosive in space and is a threat to take it to the house on any play, as seen in his 18 touchdowns with 1,673 rushing yards last season.
The downside is Strong’s one-dimensional game; While he’s an effectively complimentary back, that’s likely the size of it at the next level. He simply isn’t built to be a workhorse back, and for the Raiders, that’s ok.
Ty Chandler is another projected later back who has some impressive film. The North Carolina back recorded a 4.38 40-time, and Like Pierre Strong, he brings pass blocking ability from the backfield.
When you watch Chandler, it’s impossible not to notice how smooth of a pure runner he is. The vision is there, the cuts are made with ease and he’s able to power through hits. In his final year of college, Chandler tallied 13 rushing touchdowns accompanied by 1,092 yards.
The UNC back has a large catalog of tools at his disposal, and as such, this is an every-down back. One team is likely going to be very happy when he’s eventually selected; There’s a possibility that team could be the Las Vegas Raiders.
One final option I’ll talk about is Michigan’s, Hassan Haskins. The possibility of Josh Jacob’s fifth-year option not being picked up is real, and if that’s the path Las Vegas decides to take, Haskins is an immediate replacement as far as power rushing goes.
It’s hard to compare Jacobs and Haskins; Jacobs is faster, much more elusive, and continues to take steps in the passing game. Still, the Michigan back has his own set of skills, and if Ziegler doesn’t like the idea of a pricy fifth-year option, Haskins can take over as a workhorse.
The elephant in the room is obvious: Haskins ran a 4.74 40-time in high school and elected not to run in the combine earlier this year. Needless to say, this isn’t the guy who’s going to outrun opposing defenses. Neither is Jacobs, though.
The positives lay in his game as a reliable runner. Haskins has great vision and is tough as nails. If you need positive yardage, he’s a good bet to get it; He’s hard to bring down, and like Jacobs, he seems to get better as the game goes on. Like the previous two, Haskins also brings value as a pass blocker, although he’s not much of a threat as a pass-catcher.
I called Haskins a reliable runner a moment ago – That was no accident.
At the ’21 season’s end, the 220lb back held the longest streak for snaps without a fumble in the NCAA, at just north of 440. Through the years, we’ve seen Josh McDaniels look to the bench after a runner fumbles, so that’s a stat I’m sure has already caught his eye.
No matter what direction the Raiders go in after the ’22 season, drafting a back late gives them flexibility as far as running backs go. The $44M in cap space projected for 2023 may seem like a lot at first glance, but after factoring in the upcoming free agents, it begins to plummet quickly. Any of these three should be a good addition for years to come, in their own unique ways.