Raiders Draft 2024: Georgia RB Kendall Milton could be a late-round gem

He’d fit in Las Vegas nicely

The Las Vegas Raiders have released former star running back Josh Jacobs. Jacobs was the franchise’s bell cow for the past five seasons, making two Pro Bowls and earning an All-Pro selection.

Jacobs went to Green Bay and received a nice payday the Raiders weren’t willing to match. Now, the offense is looking for Zamir White to become the lead back after finishing the season with 354 yards and 4.7 YPC during the last four games. If he can continue to grow, he can be worth the 4th round pick the Raiders spent on him in 2022.

At this moment, the Raiders have 5 running backs on the roster. The top three are White, Alex Mattison, and Ameer Abdullah. However, they might look to the draft to add more running backs to create a committee approach.

General managers can find gems in later rounds with the running back position. One player who has a day three projection is Kendall Milton from Georgia. Milton recorded 14 touchdowns last season playing for the Bulldogs with 6.5 YPC. He has a big body at 5’11 225, plays behind his pads, moves players, and is tough to bring down in the open field.

Milton doesn’t have long speed, but he can immediately play the role of the red zone. He has great vision as a runner in the red zone and a knack for the end zone. In the video below, you can see him set up blocks during this inside zone run, which ended up as a touchdown for Georgia.

His toughness and balance are displayed on this run vs. Tennessee. Milton consistently shows patience while toting the rock and makes players miss regularly, as shown in the run below.

Milton is a day-one pass blocker who can help pick up the blitz. He is tough to take on defensive ends and exhibits the mental processing to recognize blitz schemes and keep his quarterback clean.

Milton’s biggest question mark is his ability as a receiver. He had four receptions for 25 yards last season and 11 during college. That separates the great backs from contributors in today’s NFL. That is why there is a good chance he will be around for the Raiders on day three and could help complete the running back room.