Zamir White weighs in on battle with former Alabama stars, Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake with Raiders

Alabama and Georgia have been competing atop the SEC ever since Kirby Smart took over in Athens, playing each other in multiple SEC and national championships. Now, the competition has spilled over into the NFL — specifically, the Las Vegas Raiders running back room after Zamir White was drafted.

White will be joining former Crimson Tide running back stars Kenyan Drake and Josh Jacobs and competing for playing time in Las Vegas’ offense. The former Georgia man talked about what he thinks of the two and how he is going to handle being in the same position room as them.

“Those are both great backs,” White said. “As far as me coming in and just working and grinding but not worried about all that kind of stuff. Just want to come in and compete. Just have fun and meet those guys. So, that’s all I want to do.”

Jacobs was drafted by the Raiders in 2019 but recently decided against picking up his fifth-year option. Injuries have been a problem for him, missing game time each season. In total, the former Alabama running back has 3,087 yards for 28 touchdowns.

As for Drake, he signed a two-year contract with Las Vegas and will be entering his second season in it. He ran the ball 63 times last year and finished with 254 yards and two touchdowns.

White should have the opportunity to compete for reps immediately, despite being a Day 3 draft pick. New head coach Josh McDaniels has worked with young running backs in New England and will be looking to provide similar results with the now-former Georgia Bulldog.

Las Vegas Raiders select Zamir White in 2022 NFL Draft

The Las Vegas Raiders are banking on Georgia product Zamir White to come in and transform their running back room. After playing a huge role throughout his time in Athens, the former bruising Bulldogs ball carrier will be expected to do the same in his NFL career. That’s why the Raiders took him off the board early in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday night, picking him No. 122 overall.

In his three seasons with the Bulldogs, White accumulated 2,043 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns. Last season, White realized his dream of bringing a championship to Georgia, helping to end a drought that spanned over 40 years when the Bulldogs defeated Alabama in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Additionally, White scored the first touchdown for Georgia in the aforementioned title victory, leading the Bulldogs in rushing, as well.

Most importantly to the Raiders, White has the potential to become a formidable running back in the entire NFL. He was dominant at times at Georgia, and many believe he’s just scratching the surface of his potential.