Oakland Raiders: What role will rookie Elijah Hood play vs. Bills?
Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch will serve a one-game suspension. What should we expect from rookie running back Elijah Hood?
After the NFL upheld Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch‘s one-game suspension due to his contact with an official in Week 7, the team decided to promote ball-carrier Elijah Hood to the active roster for Week 8.
Of course, Hood received the news well. He let people in his inner circle know that he’d finally have an opportunity to show everyone his talent. He shared those first moments with Raiders.com senior writer Eddie Paskal:
"I guess word just spreads because people were just texting me out of the blue and things like that,” Hood said. “It’s a lot bigger deal than even I thought. That’s really cool that everyone’s still keeping up with me that much. I appreciate all the support, honestly."
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Realistically, we know Beast Mode will return to the featured running back position in Week 9. Nonetheless, Hood could stick on the 53-man roster if he leaves a good first impression on Sunday.
Many expect Hood to take over for Lynch when the Oakland native hangs up his cleats for the second time. However, the North Carolina product will have to earn his spot, and it starts with a small opportunity.
Surprisingly, the Raiders didn’t feature the seventh-rounder as much as expected through the preseason. Still, he made the practice squad as a developmental prospect. Lynch’s mistake became Hood’s chance at expediting a consistent role on offense.
Elijah Hood’s Projected Role in Week 8
Running backs Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington will dominate the workload in the backfield without Lynch. They’ll likely handle approximately 10 carries apiece with multiple targets as receivers.
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In 2016, when then-featured running back Latavius Murray missed two games, Washington logged 19 carries and Richard registered 12 rush attempts in the starter’s absence.
This year, the Raiders will likely hand off to Cordarrelle Patterson a few times. Fullback Jamize Olawale may see carries in short-yardage situations. Then, Hood will take what’s left over, about three-to-five carries.
The coaching staff will plug Hood into the special teams unit with safeties Keith McGill and Shalom Luani expected to take on expanded roles on defense. It’s not a glamorous role, but it’s the typical starting point for rookies looking to etch their names on the active roster.
Hood’s outlook as a contributor on the 53-man depth chart will come down to multiple factors. However, it’s most important for him to give maximum effort on special teams as injuries plague clubs late in the season.
Next: Raiders vs. Bills: Preview, score prediction for Week 8
With four ball-carriers in various roles, don’t expect much from Hood on offense unless he’s able to break out for a long run similar to Richard in his NFL debut against the New Orleans Saints in the previous year.
Hood will have a tough time replicating Richard’s debut against a defense that allows 3.4 yards per rush attempt. However, it’s not impossible behind an offensive line that may have found its mojo in Week 7.