Raiders Opponent Underrated Player: RB Jaylen Warren

The Las Vegas Raiders will have their first game of the season at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday Night Football when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers while looking to rebound from a rough loss.

A lot went wrong for the Raiders in Week 2, as they could not move the ball after the first quarter and gave up more than 450 yards of total offense.

This game against the Steelers is a good bounce-back opportunity for the Raiders, having a chance to play in front of their home crowd for the first time and taking on a team that has struggled offensively.

However, for the Steelers, they have a player who could help them alleviate some of those offensive struggles -- running back Jaylen Warren, who has emerged as one of the more underrated and productive backups in the NFL due to his versatility.

Warren, who went undrafted in the 2022 out of Oklahoma State, caught on with the Steelers after impressing throughout training camp. Warren appeared in all 16 games for the Steelers last season, rushing 77 times for 379 yards and a touchdown, while also catching 28 passes for 214 yards.

In today’s NFL, it helps offenses when running backs are multi-faceted. Having the ability to be an effective runner and receiver out of the backfield allows offenses to expand on play calls and utilize their weapons more effectively.

It also helps running backs when it comes to contract negotiations, as that is a hot-button issue in the NFL right now. Thankfully for Warren, he is just as effective as a runner as he is a receiver out of the backfield.

Through two games this season, Warren has rushed nine times for 26 yards while catching nine passes for 78 yards. Last season against the Raiders, he rushed six times for 23 yards and caught one pass for seven yards.

With an expanded role in the offense this season, Warren will look to utilize his versatile skill set to his -- and the Steelers’ -- advantage against the Raiders. With the Raiders’ struggles on defense last week, they will need to be mindful of what Warren can bring to the game.

Running back Najee Harris receives the bulk of the carries for the Steelers, but Warren counters him with a different skill set. If the Raiders are not careful, Warren could beat them in more ways than one.

The Silver and Black return home to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas to play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Sept. 24, at 8:20 p.m. EDT/5:20 p.m. PDT.

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