PAST PRODUCTION (College)

Zamir White was the number one RB in his class coming out of high school and a top-ten national recruit before signing with the Georgia Bulldogs. “Zeus,” as he was called, unfortunately, tore his ACL late in his senior season, however, and then tore his other ACL in August 2018, which caused him to redshirt the fall. He worked hard and overcame these injuries, rushing for 408 yards and three TDs on 78 carries in 2019, playing behind D’Andre Swift.

In 2020, White started all 10 games for the Bulldogs, leading them with 144 carries for 779 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, and added six receptions for 37 yards. This past season, White was voted second-team pre-season All-SEC, as well as a permanent team captain. He led his team with 856 rushing yards and 11 scores on 160 carries while catching nine passes for 75 yards and helping lead Georgia to a National Championship victory. 

Zamir White was drafted in the fourth round, as the eighth RB off the board, by the Las Vegas Raiders. Many scouts didn’t know what to prepare for given Zeus’s history of knee injuries, but he blew away the 40-yard dash, running a 4.40-flat. At 6’0” and 214 lbs. that is an excellent time that reminds us why he was so highly sought after coming out of high school (he finished 6th in the state of North Carolina in the 100-meter dash in 2016). His 33.5” vertical and 128” broad jumps were serviceable measures, though not indicative of major explosiveness. 

Zeus is a pro-ready running back with the size, strength, speed, and pass-protection experience necessary to step in and play in 2022.

https://twitter.com/GABulldogsFB/status/1500193115126251524?s=20&t=7HfBrxqdK-YAifvB8M4ErQ

2022 OUTLOOK

While White is certainly capable of playing meaningful snaps this season, he joins a backfield with a successfully established lead back in Josh Jacobs. However, White does have a pretty good opportunity to come in to spell Jacobs, as well as work in on short-yardage and goal-line situations. If Jacobs goes down with any injury, as he has in the past (Jacobs has started 13, 15, and 14 games respectively in each of his first three seasons), then White becomes a top-20 option at RB for that specific week(s). 

Zamir White is a serviceable pass-protector and has shown in off-season drills that he is a capable receiver as well. He combines size, strength, and power with exceptional footwork to not only find daylight with running lanes but finish his runs with physicality. 

Perhaps your author’s favorite attribute about White is that he made plays on special teams throughout his career. He returned six kickoffs throughout his collegiate career. He blocked a punt in 2020 and recovered a blocked punt for a TD last year. White has humility, a competitive streak, and is willing to do whatever is needed to get on the field. This makes him different from a lot of nationally-ranked, number one overall, top recruits.

Your author expects Josh Jacobs to be the lead back in 2022 and garner 65+ percent of the backfield touches, but the future is bright for Zeus. 

DYNASTY ANALYSIS

Perhaps the most exciting news for dynasty players regarding Zamir White was announced just before the 2022 NFL Draft. The Raiders announced they would not be exercising Josh Jacobs’ 5th-year option as a former first-round draft pick in 2019. This means the landing spot with the Raiders’ organization is a great one for White. The Raiders have nearly always shown a willingness to run the ball early and often. Additionally, now Josh Jacobs is in the final year of his contract, so if White performs well in limited action this season then he should be viewed as the favorite to be the Raiders’ lead back in 2023 and beyond. 

This coming 2022 season might offer a spot-play opportunity or two for White. He may be the preferred goal-line back for the Raiders, making him a TD-dependent play, or, he may fill in for a week when Jacobs is ruled out, as mentioned above. Hopefully, White can develop as a receiver and pass-protector to improve his chances of becoming a three-down back in 2023. 

The landing spot and mid-fourth-round draft capital put Zeus in that mid-to-late second-round range in dynasty rookie drafts. As a dynasty owner, you can feel good about the future as White should be viewed as the favorite to lead the Raiders backfield in 2023. 

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