Think of any adjective to describe futility. That word would apply to the Raiders’ running game last season.
The team was never able to get going on the ground, finishing with the fewest rushing yards in the NFL (1,357).
Big changes are expected as a result.
The Raiders did add a veteran running back in free agency and should get a promising youngster back from injury, but reinforcements are still needed. There’s a reason several mock drafts project the team to select a running back in the first round.
Here’s a look at the Raiders’ backfield situation and how they could approach the position in the draft:
Current depth chart: Raheem Mostert; Sincere McCormick; Zamir White; Dylan Laube; Chris Collier; Isaiah Spiller
Level of need: High
Mostert should provide a boost to the Raiders’ disastrous run game, but he turned 33 on Wednesday and has a checkered injury history. The former 49ers and Dolphins standout, who led the NFL in touchdowns in 2023, is a short-term solution.
McCormick, 24, provides promise for the future. He impressed by averaging 4.7 yards per carry in five games before suffering an ankle injury.
White, 25, will have to hope the Raiders’ schematic changes under new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly help him bounce back from a disappointing campaign. He averaged 2.8 yards per carry in eight games and scored just one touchdown.
First-round prospects to watch: Ashton Jeanty, Boise State; Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
Jeanty is one of the best overall players in the draft and could be in play for the Raiders with the sixth overall pick.
He is expected to visit with the team before the first round begins April 24 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Jeanty, 21, is talented enough to warrant being a top-10 selection. He has a rare combination of vision, elusiveness and power. He can avoid tacklers and shed those trying to bring him down.
It remains to be seen if new Raiders general manager John Spytek would be willing to select a player at a non-premium position with a top-10 pick. Jeanty’s workload in college — he had 374 carries last year, 64 more than any other player — could also be a concern.
Hampton, 22, is more of a straight-line runner who strikes fear into defenses with his speed and power.
Second- and third-round prospects: Cam Skattebo, Arizona State; TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State; Dylan Sampson, Tennessee; Kaleb Johnson, Iowa; Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State; RJ Harvey, UCF; Damien Martinez, Miami
Skattebo, 23, should be a fan favorite regardless of where he ends up thanks to the passion and violence he plays with.
Henderson, 22, and Judkins, 21, could be prospects of interest to the Raiders because they played for Kelly last year at Ohio State, where he was the Buckeyes offensive coordinator.
“Great guy, uses me all (over) the field,” Judkins said of Kelly at the combine. “Having a guy like that in your locker room and in your corner as a coach with that ability to give you so many different opportunities and so many ways to give you the ball, it’s amazing to see. So, just to watch him draw things up throughout the year, it was great.”
Harvey, 24, is an elite tackle-breaker.
Fourth- through seventh-round prospects: DJ Giddens, Kansas State; Devin Neal, Kansas; Jaydon Blue, Texas; Trevor Etienne, Clemson; Jarquez Hunter, Auburn; Brashard Smith, SMU; Kalel Mullings, Michigan; Kyle Monangai, Rutgers; Marcus Yarns, Delaware
Etienne, 20, may not be as versatile as his older brother Travis, but he should be an effective receiver at the next level.
Blue, 21, is a fantastic athlete that will provide a home-run threat to any offense.
Mullings, 22, is a former linebacker and he plays like it, while Monangai, 23, almost seeks out defenders to run over.
Contact Adam Hill at [email protected]. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
