The Las Vegas Raiders should be in for a much-improved season in 2026 after losing 14 games last year, and RB Ashton Jeanty will play a massive role in the team's development.
The Las Vegas Raiders have a lot to be excited about for this upcoming season after bringing in lots of talent.
After a 3-14 season allowed the Raiders to draft first overall in the 2026 National Football League draft, the team selected the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner and national champion quarterback Fernando Mendoza to be one of the faces of the franchise.
On top of revamping the QB room, Las Vegas spent tons of money in free agency to shore up several roster holes, especially on the offensive line with top free agent center Tyler Linderbaum and defensively with linebackers Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean.
It doesn’t stop there, as the Raiders also made changes to nearly the whole coaching staff, bringing in the most coveted coordinator of the hiring cycle, Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
Stark improvement should be in Las Vegas’ near future, and that statement goes for a lot of the players that have been with the Raiders through this recent rough stretch.
Watching All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers continue to get better and impact football games in a huge way will be fun, but perhaps not as fun as it will be to watch running back Ashton Jeanty in his second season.
Jeanty, who was the sixth overall pick in last year’s draft, had a good rookie season but not as good as many had predicted. That really wasn’t his fault, as poor offensive line and quarterback play hindered his success, but he’s primed to break out with both of those position groups seeing drastic improvement.
Jeanty was named to NFL.com’s All-Breakout Offensive Team as a second-year player to watch for the 2026 season.
“After suffering through a frustrating rookie campaign that saw him fall short of 1,000 ground yards while averaging just 3.7 a pop, Jeanty could make a serious run at the 2026 rushing title with new Raiders coach Klint Kubiak implementing a zone-based running game that will showcase the second-year pro's balance, body control and burst on the edges,” NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks wrote Friday.
“Additionally, Kubiak's experience incorporating running backs in the passing game will help Jeanty reprise the multi-faceted role that made him an unstoppable force at Boise State.”
Jeanty rushed 266 times for 975 yards and five touchdowns while hauling in 55 passes for 346 yards and five touchdowns over 17 games, easily surpassing 1,000 all-purpose yards in a brutal offense.
His skillset and size create a player that has a ceiling that is sky-high, and his head coach should have a field day using him in a scheme that favors dual-threat running backs like himself.
Expect his numbers to explode – Jeanty should have no issue getting over 1,000 rushing yards as long as he stays healthy.
