Three must-watch players in Raiders' first preseason game

The Las Vegas Raiders host the San Francisco 49ers in their first preseason action of the 2023 season on Sunday at 4 p.m. EST. Here are three must-watch players for Las Vegas.

Zamir White, running back

Pro Bowl RB Josh Jacobs, who led the league in rushing yards last season with 1,653 yards in 17 games, has yet to sign his franchise tender and hasn't reported to training camp. Since it's unclear when he'll return, Las Vegas needs another offensive workhorse they can count on. White will fill this role with a strong preseason performance. 

The second-year back can prove skeptics wrong and win a potential position battle, too. During his rookie season, he only rushed for 70 yards on 17 attempts in 14 games. It appears the Raiders need to see more before they increase White's workload, especially after Las Vegas signed RB Damien Williams, a Super Bowl champion, on Friday.

Aidan O'Connell, quarterback

Even though the Raiders signed Jimmy Garoppolo to a three-year, $72.75M deal this offseason, a trustworthy backup is necessary, given his injury history. Garoppolo has missed 31 games over the past five seasons. Backup QB Brian Hoyer has an unimpressive 16-24 starting record in 15 seasons, so Las Vegas could promote the former Purdue Boilermaker to QB2 if he flashes upside in the preseason.

O'Connell—a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft—already made the right impression in the locker room. "He's been incredibly accurate since he's gotten here," former Pro Bowl WR Hunter Renfrow recently said of the rookie. "I don't know how this all plays out, but he's someone we believe in." 

Michael Mayer, tight end

The Notre Dame product was one of the best TE prospects in the 2023 draft class. In his final collegiate season, Mayer caught 71 receptions for 840 yards and seven TDs in 12 games. Furthermore, he finished second in the John Mackey Award voting (nation's best TE) and earned first-team All-American honors. 

It's a bold comparison, but it's hard not to see shades of former Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski (6-foot-6, 265 pounds) in Mayer (6-foot-4, 249 pounds) since they share a similar stature and playing style. Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels coached Gronk for seven seasons while he served as the Patriots offensive coordinator. He could also mold the 35th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft into a future Pro Bowler.