The Las Vegas Raiders upgraded nearly every position that was lacking in 2025, which will help running back Ashton Jeanty tremendously.
The Las Vegas Raiders entered the offseason with the second-most salary cap space and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 National Football League draft following a rough 3-14 season last year.
With clear areas for improvement up and down the organization, coaching staff included, the Raiders needed to make good use of its resources during free agency and the draft. It’s safe to say Las Vegas did that and got better at many positions, especially at center with the signing of Tyler Linderbaum, and one player in particular should benefit tremendously from the offseason acquisitions.
The expectations for running back Ashton Jeanty were huge entering his rookie season after being selected with the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, and rightfully so. It’s not often that a running back, especially from the Mountain West, gets taken inside the top 10.
The tape showed a dynamic rusher with immense power and shiftiness, and while Jeanty demonstrated that with the Raiders last season, he wasn’t as good as many had hoped he would be. But that really isn’t his fault, considering how the roster was poorly constructed.
He was contacted at or behind the line of scrimmage more times than not last season, a percentage that was over 50 percent for most of the year and still managed to put together a solid rookie season when it was all said and done.
“Jeanty’s rookie year didn’t reach his lofty expectations, as he finished with a 73.1 PFF rushing grade and 3.06 yards after contact per attempt,” Pro Football Focus’ (PFF) Bradley Locker wrote Wednesday. “However, there were still silver linings in 2025. Consider that his 61 missed tackles forced were the sixth-most among qualified rushers, and Jeanty still netted 24 carries of at least 10 yards.”
Jeanty rushed for 975 yards and five touchdowns with just one fumble on 266 carries (seventh) after playing in all 17 games, and while his 3.7 average yards per carry ranked just 45th in the NFL, the 22-year-old did break out for some big runs throughout the year.
He’s a dual-threat back and proved it by catching 55 passes for 346 yards and five touchdowns on 73 targets. Had Jeanty been playing in a more organized and methodical system, his numbers would have probably been All-Pro caliber – he will likely be in that kind of system in new head coach Klint Kubiak’s first season with the franchise.
“Under new head coach Klint Kubiak last year, the Seahawks led the league in rushing play rate (47.1%) and finished fourth in first downs gained on the ground,” Locker wrote. “On top of that, new center Tyler Linderbaum has produced at least a 78.6 PFF run-blocking mark in every season of his four-year career. Kenneth Walker III entered elusive territory (pun intended) working with Kubiak last season, and Jeanty could be next in line.”
Jeanty was named to PFF’s 2026 All-Breakout Team and when you look at his talent and the talent the Raiders brought in this offseason, it’s easy to see the vision.