{"id":869431,"date":"2026-04-18T21:18:37","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T21:18:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/869431\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T21:18:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T21:18:37","slug":"3-potential-undrafted-free-agent-rookie-running-backs-the-las-vegas-raiders-should-try-to-make-a-priority-after-the-2026-nfl-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/869431\/","title":{"rendered":"3 potential Undrafted Free Agent rookie running backs the Las Vegas Raiders should try to make a priority after the 2026 NFL Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Las Vegas Raiders will need a backup running back, or at least another running back added to the roster behind Ashton Jeanty.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1708\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/USATSI_26965110-scaled.jpg\" class=\"attachment-1280 size-1280 wp-post-image\" alt=\"Las Vegas Raiders 2026 NFL draft potential UDFA RB Toledo Chip Trayanum\" loading=\"eager\" fetchpriority=\"high\"  data-hero=\"atoz-hero\" \/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAug 30, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Toledo Rockets quarterback Tucker Gleason (4) hands the ball off to running back Chip Trayanum (1) during the first quarter against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJordan Prather-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Las Vegas Raiders may draft a running back in the 2026 NFL Draft, possibly early on Day 3. However, the draft can be unpredictable, and they might prefer the undrafted rookie RB class enough to pass on one during the draft.<\/p>\n<p>Ashton Jeanty can be the best RB in the league; we know he has that potential. However, he needs help\u2014specifically, a better offensive line, an improved passing game to divert defensive attention, and stronger support in the RB room. Considering this, if the Raiders choose to pass on drafting a running back, there are three potential UDFA RBs I like for them to target.<\/p>\n<p>3 potential UDFA RBs for the Raiders to target after the 2026 NFL Draft<\/p>\n<p>Adam Randall, Clemson RB<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He\u2019s a big dude who knows how to use his strength and size in the run game. He\u2019s got great pad level when running between the tackles, and often times breaks tackles in the second level purely because of his size. And, sure, he\u2019s big, but he has very good straight-line speed. All of these positives are fine, but there is a reason he is projected as a Day 3 guy. Randall doesn\u2019t have great lateral quickness. You won\u2019t often see him make a guy miss in a phone booth, as you might see from Jeanty. He\u2019s a very straightforward runner and won\u2019t dance behind the line of scrimmage waiting for a hole to open up. Drops are a concern and a reason he ended up switching from the WR position. The <a href=\"https:\/\/atozsports.com\/nfl\/las-vegas-raiders-news\/raiders-pre-draft-visit-meeting-with-clemson-running-back-adam-randall-ashton-jeanty\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Raiders had some interest in him with a pre-draft visit.<\/a><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Adam Randall (6\u20192 233) Clemson<\/p>\n<p>+ Great size and power <br \/>+ Natural receiving ability as a former wide receiver<br \/>+ Improved quickly as just a one-year player at running back<br \/>+ Downhill runner<br \/>+ Vision to know when to bounce runs to the outside<br \/>+ Delivering the blow on contact <\/p>\n<p>-\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/0un6j27AzR\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/0un6j27AzR<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Bengals &amp; Brews (@BengalsBrews) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BengalsBrews\/status\/2019799365456409020?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">February 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Chip Trayanum, Toledo RB<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trayanum is a tall running back who can do a lot of different things. Still, most of his versatility showed up while playing in the MAC, often against less competitive teams. The sixth-year senior played at Arizona State, Ohio State, Kentucky, and finished his college career at Toledo. He finished with over 2,200 total rushing yards, 25 rushing TDs, 300 receiving yards, and two receiving TDs. At 6\u20190, 224 pounds, Trayaynum has the build to be a guy who does all of the dirty work so that Jeanty wouldn\u2019t have to, thereby taking some of the load off the star RB. Trayanum has some vision issues, mainly with consistency. You may see him have an incredible read one play with his eyes, but the next one chooses the completely wrong gap and just gets buried in the backfield. Trayanum does have some pretty good pass pro reps on tape, all things considered. His play on third downs and special teams would be great for Vegas.<\/p>\n<p>Rahsul Faison, South Carolina RB<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Faison is one of the older RBs in this class, which has greatly hurt his draft stock. He started his college career in 2019 at Marshall and has since played for two JUCO schools, Utah State, and then SC. Faison is 6\u20190, 200 pounds, and fits what the Raiders need in that backup RB role with his big frame and great run strength and balance for those short yardage conversions. However, while he does run hard, he hasn\u2019t shown that he can be a traditional guy who single-handedly moves piles as the RB. He has some amazing patience and vision, guided by some good footwork in the short area before the line of scrimmage. One of his big knocks, though, is that he doesn\u2019t have a ton of special teams experience. In 37 college games, Faison finished his career with 412 carries, 2,315 rushing yards, 16 rushing TDs, 52 catches, and 269 receiving yards.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">South Carolina RB Rahsul Faison measured in at 5&#8217;11&#8221;, 213 pounds with 31+ inch arms for a running back. He&#8217;s been impressing me this week, along with this nice out and up for a TD. Watch him lean into the LB just before the catch to create separation to haul it in! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/FjmMVBboNL\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/FjmMVBboNL<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Daniel Harms (@InHarmsWay19) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/InHarmsWay19\/status\/2016906007067124068?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">January 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/draft-simulator.atozsports.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\" noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"100\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Simulator-11.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-446395\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-12-4.52.15-PM-200x200.png\" alt=\"Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby on his podcast talking about Kirk Cousins\" loading=\"lazy\"   width=\"200\" height=\"200\" style=\"object-position:50% 50%\"\/>\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"query-card-horizontal__category is-style-eyebrow\">Las Vegas Raiders News<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/atozsports.com\/nfl\/las-vegas-raiders-news\/maxx-crosby-opens-up-raiders-signing-veteran-quarterback-kirk-cousins-mentor-rookie-qb-fernando-mendoza\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tMaxx Crosby opens up on the Las Vegas Raiders\u2019 decision to bring in quarterback Kirk Cousins\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"is-style-body-small\">The Las Vegas Raiders brought in veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to mentor potential rookie QB Fernando Mendoza, and Maxx Crosby seems to love the signing.<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Las Vegas Raiders will need a backup running back, or at least another running back added to&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":869432,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2065],"tags":[59344,33947,7,1744,393,2455,2454,6,26985,525,3007,2479],"class_list":{"0":"post-869431","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-las-vegas-raiders","8":"tag-adam-randall","9":"tag-chip-trayanum","10":"tag-football","11":"tag-las-vegas","12":"tag-las-vegas-raiders","13":"tag-lasvegas","14":"tag-lasvegasraiders","15":"tag-nfl","16":"tag-rahsul-faison","17":"tag-raiders","18":"tag-running-back","19":"tag-udfa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116427799471577715","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/869431","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=869431"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/869431\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/869432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=869431"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=869431"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=869431"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}