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Note: An original version of this article appeared over at our friends at BellyUp Sports. Read more of their stuff here.
Last night, the Las Vegas Raiders defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-11 in the annual Hall of Fame game. Though it may have just been a preseason game, we learned a lot about the Silver and Black. For the first time in a long time, Raider Nation has something to look forward to…
A Loaded Vegas Backfield
As evident from yesterday’s defeat of Jacksonville, it’s obvious that Vegas has a lot of depth on the roster. Of course, there were a few drops and things like that, but that’s expected from your third and fourth-string players, especially in the preseason. Rookie running back Zamir White showed a lot of promise for a team that had trouble running the ball last season. Finishing 28th in total rushing yards (2021), the so-called “Zeus” is a breath of fresh air for the Raiders. Finishing with 75 total yards and averaging around 4.7 YPC, his debut with the Silver and Black was a resounding success. He might be that much-needed spark Vegas has been looking for.
Josh Jacobs has already proven that he belongs in the NFL, but now we need to hear from the backups. When you have guys like Kenyan Drake, Ameer Abdullah, and Brandon Bolden in your backfield, RB2 is open for the taking. As a Raiders fan, I predict that the final lineup, from first string down, will be…
- Josh Jacobs
- Zamir White
- Kenyan Drake
- Ameer Abdullah
Travon Walker Shows Potential
Many had Jacksonville taking Aidan Hutchinson first this year, but luckily for Jaguars fans, the front office chose otherwise. Hutchinson could’ve been making his NFL debut last night, but Walker proved he was just as worthy. Despite being flagged for a roughing the passer call on his first drive, he recorded his first NFL sack only moments later. The Jags have been in dire need of a reliable pass rusher for quite some time now, and Walker has everything he needs to fit that mold. His versatility is top-tier, and as long as he can stay healthy, he’ll be a vital asset to the team moving forward.
He reminds me a lot of Von Miller. He’s lightning fast and hits like a ton of lead. He can line up on edge or even play linebacker. He’s quick enough to drop back into coverage but also strong enough to stop a power back on a 4th and 1. You have much to look forward to if you’re a Jaguars fan. We’ll learn much more about these two teams the deeper we get into the preseason. We’ll see who deserves to be on the final 53-man roster and who (for lack of a better word) peaked in college. But as of right now, the Raiders and Jaguars have both shown that they have some promising young rookies in their arsenal.
