The Hall of Famer draws parallels between his own rookie year and the Raiders standout, predicting a massive second-year leap fueled by elite vision and toughness.
LaDainian Tomlinson knows better than basically anyone what it takes to become an elite NFL running back, so when the TCU legend offers praise for a young star, people tend to listen.
The Pro Football Hall of Famer recently had high praise for Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty, saying he expects the former Boise State standout to make a major leap during his second NFL season after a difficult rookie campaign. Tomlinson even compared Jeanty’s first year to his own introduction to the league, suggesting big things could be ahead.
"I am huge on Ashton Jeanty," Tomlinson said during an appearance on the Fantasy Points podcast. "I think I averaged 3.7 or 3.8 yards per carry my rookie year. I’m absolutely targeting Ashton Jeanty [in fantasy football]. I’m planning on coming out of my [fantasy football] draft with Ashton. Let me just say that."
Jeanty tallied a solid 975 yards on the ground in his rookie year, but his five touchdowns and 3.7 yards per carry did leave a bit to be desired.
Needless to say, Tomlinson’s opinion carries significant weight.
Before becoming one of the NFL’s greatest backs, the former TCU superstar experienced growing pains himself. Although he rushed for more than 1,200 yards as a rookie, he did so on an absurd number of attempts for a rookie at 339. That put his yards-per-carry average a bit lower than Jeanty’s first season at 3.6.
It was in Year 2 that Tomlinson truly exploded into superstardom, and he believes Jeanty is positioned to follow a similar path.
The Chargers legend thinks that Jeanty displayed encouraging qualities despite playing on a struggling Raiders team. Rather than focusing strictly on the numbers, the former Horned Frog pointed to the young back’s toughness, vision, and ability to produce even when defenses were keyed on stopping him.
Those are characteristics Tomlinson believes often lead to significant improvement with more experience.
Jeanty appears to share that mindset. The Raiders running back recently said his offseason has centered on mastering the finer points of the game, including recognizing defensive looks, understanding blocking schemes, and gaining a better feel for how plays develop. He also credited repetition for helping the game slow down entering his second season.
The Horned Frogs legend built a Hall of Fame career through patience, hard work and continuous improvement, and he sees those same ingredients in Jeanty.
Whether Jeanty ultimately reaches the heights Tomlinson did remains to be seen, but receiving such a strong endorsement from one of the game's all-time greats is certainly an encouraging sign as he prepares for Year 2.
