5 Las Vegas Raiders Who Will Make an Impact This Season
Want to find out which Las Vegas Raiders will make an impact this season? Read on!
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Everyone in the NFL will be watching Derek Carr like a hawk this season. The team spent an ungodly amount extending Carr's contract, so the time has come for Carr to put up or shut up. And with weapons like Davantae Adams, Hunter Renfrow, Darren Waller, and Josh Jacobs, how can he not?
All the pieces are finally in place to make a playoff run, but it hinges on Derek Carr. Will he choke as he has in previous situations? Or will he come out guns blazing and show the NFL what he can do?
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Source. YouTube[/caption]
Las Vegas Raiders Linebacker Darien Butler could end up being a game changer for the team if the preseason is any indicator. While he did sit out the Hall of Fame game against the Jaguars, he played the very next week against the Minnesota Vikings. This resulted in him racking up three solo tackles and two assisted tackles in one of the best defensive performances of the night.
Butler shined again against the Miami Dolphins, totaling four tackles that night. He did get outplayed by Sam Webb and Luke Masterson, but one could argue that just shows how stacked the team is at the position.
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Las Vegas lacks depth at the wide receiver position after the loss of Demarcus Robinson and Zay Jones, but who will fill that role? Some claim that Keelan Cole can, and it’s hard to disagree after seeing his preseason performances.
Cole caught one pass for 31 yards in the opening game of the preseason against the Jaguars. He followed that up with four receptions for 26 yards against the Vikings. Cole had yet another excellent performance in week three against the Dolphins, where he caught three passes for 44 yards
This guy may not be on the same level as Darren Waller, Davantae Adams, or Hunter Renfrow, but he has shown promise. He even has a career average of 14.4 yards a carry, meaning he will fight for every yard.
Related: Ranking Las Vegas athletes by merchandise sales
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Source. YouTube[/caption]
There are a lot of people looking to prove something this season, and Darius Philips is one of them. He joined the Raiders in the offseason, less than a year after being put on the injured reserve by the Cincinnati Bengals.
Philips must have taken that to heart, given that he racked up three tackles and one assisted tackle in the Hall of Fame game. That admirable performance was followed by another three tackles against the Vikings in another solid defensive effort. Philips topped everything off against the Dolphins with four tackles in a 15-13 nailbiter.
It doesn’t matter how high-powered their offense is. If the team gets smoked drive after drive, the Raiders have solved nothing. However, if players like Darius Philips prove themselves, that could be a different story.
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Zamir White might sound like another rookie, but he is also someone who could make an impact. The former Georgia Bulldog already racked up 52 yards in 11 carries during the Hall of Fame game. He also caught three receptions for 27 yards and 7.7 yards a carry.
This makes him a duel threat that the Raiders can utilize in the air and on the ground. White’s rise through the ranks of Las Vegas also comes when big shakeups are happening. Josh McDaniels said the run game would be a priority in 2022, and this one looks remarkably versatile.
Next: What former Las Vegas players had to say about their old teams
#5 Derek Carr (Quarterbackback)
[caption id="attachment_18594" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Source. YouTube[/caption]Everyone in the NFL will be watching Derek Carr like a hawk this season. The team spent an ungodly amount extending Carr's contract, so the time has come for Carr to put up or shut up. And with weapons like Davantae Adams, Hunter Renfrow, Darren Waller, and Josh Jacobs, how can he not?
All the pieces are finally in place to make a playoff run, but it hinges on Derek Carr. Will he choke as he has in previous situations? Or will he come out guns blazing and show the NFL what he can do?
#4 Darien Butler (Linebacker)
[caption id="attachment_18595" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Source. YouTube[/caption]Las Vegas Raiders Linebacker Darien Butler could end up being a game changer for the team if the preseason is any indicator. While he did sit out the Hall of Fame game against the Jaguars, he played the very next week against the Minnesota Vikings. This resulted in him racking up three solo tackles and two assisted tackles in one of the best defensive performances of the night.
Butler shined again against the Miami Dolphins, totaling four tackles that night. He did get outplayed by Sam Webb and Luke Masterson, but one could argue that just shows how stacked the team is at the position.
#3 Keelan Cole (Wide receiver)
[caption id="attachment_18596" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Source. YouTube[/caption]Las Vegas lacks depth at the wide receiver position after the loss of Demarcus Robinson and Zay Jones, but who will fill that role? Some claim that Keelan Cole can, and it’s hard to disagree after seeing his preseason performances.
Cole caught one pass for 31 yards in the opening game of the preseason against the Jaguars. He followed that up with four receptions for 26 yards against the Vikings. Cole had yet another excellent performance in week three against the Dolphins, where he caught three passes for 44 yards
This guy may not be on the same level as Darren Waller, Davantae Adams, or Hunter Renfrow, but he has shown promise. He even has a career average of 14.4 yards a carry, meaning he will fight for every yard.
Related: Ranking Las Vegas athletes by merchandise sales
#2 Darius Philips (Cornerback)
[caption id="attachment_18597" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Source. YouTube[/caption]There are a lot of people looking to prove something this season, and Darius Philips is one of them. He joined the Raiders in the offseason, less than a year after being put on the injured reserve by the Cincinnati Bengals.
Philips must have taken that to heart, given that he racked up three tackles and one assisted tackle in the Hall of Fame game. That admirable performance was followed by another three tackles against the Vikings in another solid defensive effort. Philips topped everything off against the Dolphins with four tackles in a 15-13 nailbiter.
It doesn’t matter how high-powered their offense is. If the team gets smoked drive after drive, the Raiders have solved nothing. However, if players like Darius Philips prove themselves, that could be a different story.
#1 Zamir White (Running back)
[caption id="attachment_18598" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Source. YouTube.[/caption]Zamir White might sound like another rookie, but he is also someone who could make an impact. The former Georgia Bulldog already racked up 52 yards in 11 carries during the Hall of Fame game. He also caught three receptions for 27 yards and 7.7 yards a carry.
This makes him a duel threat that the Raiders can utilize in the air and on the ground. White’s rise through the ranks of Las Vegas also comes when big shakeups are happening. Josh McDaniels said the run game would be a priority in 2022, and this one looks remarkably versatile.
Next: What former Las Vegas players had to say about their old teams