In a recent article naming the top breakout candidate for each team in the NFL, Pro Football Focus chose an offensive player for the Las Vegas Raiders — but was it the right choice?
According to Pro Football Focus' Bradley Locker, running back Zamir White, who is entering his third season in the NFL and the first in which he has a chance to start, was the choice for the Raiders.
Before we get to why that's right or wrong, here's Locker's take on the decision:
Josh Jacobs was the train that kept on churning for the Silver and Black, but the engine will have to pick up without him in 2024. Alexander Mattison figures to be the starter for most of the year, but his elusive rating dropped 33.3 points from 2022 to 2023. Expect more of a running back by committee approach for new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who generally kept carries balanced in Chicago — that should mean more totes for White, whose 3.21 yards after contact per carry ranked 10th among running backs last year.
If things unfold the way Locker lays out and White and Mattison split work evenly all season, the former is going to have a tough time breaking out.
However, after the finish we saw from White last season, combined with Mattison coming off a lackluster year with the Minnesota Vikings in which he failed to show he's a capable starter, I think White eventually takes the reins.
Over the final four games of 2023, White broke the century mark on the ground two times while finding pay dirt once and averaging a solid 4.7 yards per carry. If he can pick up where he left off and take control of the back field, White will blow past 1,000 yards en route to his best season as a pro.
I would say White is the Raiders' top breakout candidate going into next season, but we should also be keeping an eye on both tight ends, Michael Mayer and Brock Bowers, and quarterback Aidan O'Connell if he can win the starting job.
