Las Vegas Raiders: Josh McDaniels must find a role for Zamir White in 2023

The Las Vegas Raiders have a lot of work to do in terms of their roster this offseason, and that includes finding a role for some current players.

The Las Vegas Raiders held two fourth-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, this after only picking once through the first three rounds. After trading for Davante Adams, the Silver and Black’s first pick would come at No. 90 overall, where the franchise selected Memphis interior offensive lineman, Dylan Parham.

As a rookie, Parham carved out a role with the team, appearing in 17 games, and is viewed as someone who will key the rebuild along the offensive line in 2023. The next player selected by the Raiders, Zamir White, looked very good in the preseason, but his rookie season never really got off to any start, or finish.

While Josh Jacobs ran wild all over the competition, leading the NFL in rushing yards, and racking up over 2,000 yards from scrimmage, White was a non-factor. When Jacobs was not in the game, guys like Brandon Bolden and Ameer Abdullah spelled him, leading White to appear in 14 games, but rush the ball only 17 times.

In 2023, that has to change.

Raiders need White to be their RB2 in 2023

This offseason, both Jacobs and Abdullah are free agents, and the team could very well move on from Brandon Bolden without much of a cap hit. While Jacobs is expected back, head coach Josh McDaniels needs to find a way to get the 2022 fourth-round pick into the lineup, possibly serving as a backup to Jacobs.

White has the strength to also be a red zone threat for the Silver and Black, as he did not get the nickname “Zeus” for nothing.

2022 Las Vegas Raiders free agents the team should have re-signed

The Las Vegas Raiders had a so-so offseason in David Ziegler's first as the GM, but he missed out on bringing back these key players for the 2022 season.

Of course, Jacobs could shock the world and decide his time in Las Vegas is over, which would essentially promote White to the RB1 role before any other players are added. White has the size and speed to be a dominant player at the next level, and a real piece for this Raiders offense in 2023, but it will be up to McDaniels to find a way to best utilize him in Year 2.