The NFL is back, baby! On Thursday, August 4, at 8:00 p.m. ET, in Canton, Ohio, the new NFL season officially kicks off with the 2022 Hall of Fame Game. The NFL preseason opener pits Josh McDaniels’ Las Vegas Raiders against Doug Pederson’s Jacksonville Jaguars and gives fans their first opportunity to check out these two teams with new head coaches.
The Hall of Fame Game is a bonus fourth preseason game for the Raiders and Jaguars so if we do see Raiders stars like Derek Carr, Davante Adams, Darren Waller, and Maxx Crosby, it will likely be for a series or two at most.
That doesn’t mean the Hall of Fame Game isn’t worth watching, especially for Raiders fans looking to get a glimpse of the team for the first time under McDaniels. This preseason tilt will give several players further down the Raiders depth chart who are competing for playing time their first chance to show whether or not they will be a factor during the 2022 Raiders season.
Here are 3 Raiders who will make a splash in the 2022 Hall of Fame Game.
Raiders to watch in the Hall of Fame Game
3. Gerri Green
The first Raiders depth chart has 26-year-old journeyman Gerri Green as one of the No. 2 defensive ends along with run-stuffing Clelin Farrell behind Chandler Jones and Maxx Crosby. This spot would make the longtime practice squad player the Raiders No. 3 pass-rusher.
Crosby might play a little in the Hall of Fame Game, and Jones won’t play at all, as he’s dealing with some nagging injuries right now. That should leave Green plenty of time to stage his audition for the 2022 Raiders roster.
Green hasn’t played an NFL snap since the Indianapolis Colts drafted him in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft. But the 6-foot-4, 250-pound pass-rusher does have some interesting tools and athletic abilities.
One of the spots behind Jones and Crosby is wide open right now as the NFL preseason begins, so if Green can impress Josh McDaniels at the Hall of Fame Game, he could make a splash this season.
2. Alex Leatherwood
The Raiders shocked the NFL world in the 2021 NFL Draft picking Alabama offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood No. 17 overall, ahead of more highly-ranked linemen like Virginia Tech’s Christian Darrisaw or Leatherwood’s college teammate, Landon Dickerson.
Leatherwood didn’t reward Las Vegas for its gamble in 2022, either. While he did start all 17 games at right tackle or right guard, he earned a 44.9 grade from PFF for the season. That’s the second-worst grade of any starting NFL lineman who finished the season.
Heading into the 2022 NFL preseason, the Raiders depth chart has Leatherwood listed as the team’s starting RT. If he starts the Hall of Fame Game, Leatherwood could see the Jaguars’ Josh Allen or 2022 No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker across from him. If he holds up against these two pass-rushers, he has a chance to redeem himself in 2022.
1. Zamir White
Former Georgia running back Zamir White — nicknamed “Zeus” — is one of the most interesting prospects on the entire Raiders roster.
At 6-feet, 214 pounds, White is a powerful back who should at least make his way onto the field this season as a short yardage and goal line specialist. However, his hard-nosed running style could make him a clock-milking workhorse on a good team like the Raiders.
In Raiders training camp this year, White is competing with Josh Jacobs, Kenyan Drake, and Brandon Bolden for carries. However, contractually, none of those three are a lock to be on the Raiders roster next season.
If White makes a splash in the 2022 Hall of Fame Game, it might not only impress Josh McDaniels this year but set Zamir White up as the new RB1 for the next several seasons.
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