Raiders 2022 preseason: Players whose stock increased vs Vikings
Raiders 2022 preseason: Players whose stock increased vs Vikings
Austin Walter
If you ask Siri what ‘man on a mission’ means, she’ll likely tell you it means Austin Walter on Sunday afternoon against the Vikings in Las Vegas.
What a performance from the 25-year-old as he tries to fight his way onto this roster. Yes, Walter only totaled 30 yards on 7 carries, but the film was truly a work of art.
At the goal line, on the same drive Nick Mullens completed a 23-yarder to Demarcus Robinson, NFL Network announcer and former Raider Matt Millen was screaming for the Raiders to feed the hot hand. When they did, Millen would say, “Give it to him again.” Even Raiders.com reporter Levi Edwards couldn’t help but tweet about Walter during Sunday’s performance.
Austin Walter is 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 starting to get my attention.
— Levi Edwards (@theleviedwards) August 14, 2022
This is just Walter’s most recent performance. Against the Jaguars last week, Walter logged 49 yards on 8 carries. The running back fighting for a roster spot also found the end zone against Jacksonville, showing off his elusiveness while getting there.
Check it how adept Walter is making defenders miss their tackles.
Why not add another?
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) August 5, 2022
Austin Walter adds to the lead in Canton. #JAXvsLV
📺: @ProFootballHOF Game | NBC pic.twitter.com/r9AoIYJHvx
There’s no question Walter has the talent to make an NFL roster, but is that roster in Las Vegas? Josh Jacobs will certainly enter the season being the Raiders’ RB1, with Kenyan Drake and Zamir White fighting for snaps behind him. The Silver and Black also gave Brandon Bolden a two-year deal worth upwards of $2.5 million annually, and Bolden is poised to take over as the team’s third down back.
None of this is even considering Ameer Abdullah, who has blown his coaches away in camp with his superb versatility. On Friday, NBCS’ Albert Breer even tweeted about Abdullah’s situation.
"“Abdullah’s carving out a real role—the “James White” spot in McD’s O.”"
Where does Walter fit in? Unfortunately, it’s realistic he doesn’t – probable, even. All the same, the former Jet is proving his worth in this league one [preseason] contest at a time. If he continues playing this way, McDaniels may find he has no choice but to incorporate Walter in the running back room.