Josh Jacobs is officially back and that means Zamir White goes back to a reserve role. White got most of the opportunities this summer to be the No. 1 back for the Raiders as Jacobs missed all of training camp and the preseason.
White flashed some in the preseason as he cut weight to add even more speed to his game. But with Jacobs now back in the fold, will White have any role in the offense?
Buy Raiders TicketsIn a recent article by ESPN, Matt Bowen named one sleeper to watch during the 2023 season for the Las Vegas Raiders. That player was none other than White, who is expected to be the No. 2 back behind Jacobs once again. Here are his thoughts on the second year back from Georgia:
Jacobs signed his franchise tag, but White is still a smart sleeper play in the Raiders’ backfield. With his downhill power and lateral quicks, White could vault into a volume role if Jacobs misses some game action.
The Raiders have to find ways to keep Jacobs fresh this year as they gave him far too many touches in 2022. That means we could see more of White in a complementary role. It wouldn’t be surprising to see White get 7-10 touches a week, depending on how the game is going. He is a violent runner who has the athleticism to break long runs.
Keep an eye on White going into Year 2 as he appears ready to make a big leap for the Raiders. He has a chance to be a real weapon and a possible fantasy sleeper in 2023.