Las Vegas Raiders NFL Draft preview: The Running Backs

The Las Vegas Raiders will have a new look to their running back room in 2024, as they lost Josh Jacobs in free agency to the Green Bay Packers. Jacobs has been the lead running back for the Raiders since the 2019 NFL season, becoming one of the more versatile players at his position in the game.

In his absence, the Raiders feel they have a capable replacement, as Zamir White will have every opportunity to be the RB1 in Las Vegas next season. We saw a small sample of what White can do last year, as he started four games in Jacobs' absence and ran for over 100 yards in two of them.

His breakout game came on the national stage, as he helped carry the Raiders to a Christmas Day victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Las Vegas also brought back Ameer Abdullah in free agency this offseason, and brought in Alexander Mattison to the group, so there is definitely some depth at the position this season.

However, running back could be a priority across the three-day NFL Draft.

Where might the Raiders draft a running back?

Running back is not a huge priority for the Raiders going into this draft, but on Day 3, they could add a quality runner to the mix. White is an unknown in terms of whether he can shoulder the load for a full 17-game season, but the combination of Abdullah and Mattison behind him should be able to take some of the pressure off of him.

With a question mark at the quarterback position going into the offseason, the Raiders must make sure they get strong play from the running back position. White looked the part of a potential 1,000-yard rusher last season, but even with a strong three-headed monster at the position in 2024, adding a rookie on Day 3 should be a priority.