Raiders Shrine Bowl Targets: Tavion Thomas

As the 2023 East-West Shrine Bowl is set to kick off today at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the players have been practicing all week to improve their draft stock and prove their worth to the NFL teams who had scouts on hand.

One of those teams was the Las Vegas Raiders, as Coach Josh McDaniels was in attendance to watch practice a couple of days ago.

The Shrine Bowl is an opportunity for some college players to showcase their talent, a chance they might not have had during the regular season.

Some players stood out during practice, including Utah running back Tavion Thomas. The Raiders will likely be in the market for some running back depth, as the future of Josh Jacobs as a Raider is up in the air, and Ameer Abdullah is a free agent as well.

General Manager Dave Ziegler will likely want to go into the season with more than only Zamir White and Brandon Bolden as the only running backs on the roster.

Thomas is the next running back from Utah to turn pro, and Utes have had success in the NFL recently, including names such as Zack Moss and former Raider Devontae Booker.

Let’s look at Thomas’ overall body of work and see if he would be a good fit in the Silver and Black.

Thomas’ had an excellent career at Utah, especially his junior season, when he rushed for 1,108 yards and 21 touchdowns after transferring from Cincinnati. He didn’t post the same numbers this season but still had solid ones, as he rushed for 687 yards and seven touchdowns.

Thomas is a massive, physical runner, standing at 6-2 and weighing 247 pounds. Although he’s big, he has the potential to be an every-down back. Being as big as he is, he’s tough to tackle and can pick up chunk yards on the ground. He will want to become a threat in the passing game and improve his pass blocking to succeed at the next level.

If the Raiders decide to keep Jacobs, they could add a running back like Thomas, who can be a change-of-pace back from Jacobs’ shifty, speedy playing style to a more physical, bruising runner. He will be a good value selection if available on day two or three of the NFL Draft.

The NFL Scouting Combine is Feb. 28-March 6, 2023, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. On March 7, 2023, before 4 p.m. EST, is the club's deadline to designate Franchise or Transition Players.

March 13-15 is the free agent negotiation period. During that time, starting at 12 p.m. EST on March 13 and ending at 3:59:59 p.m. EST on March 15, clubs are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2022 Player Contracts at 4 p.m EST on March 15.

The 2023 NFL Year and Free Agency period begins at 4 p.m. EST on March 15. The Raiders are expected to be significant players in the free-agent market this season.

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