The Las Vegas Raiders needed a jolt to their rushing attack after averaging a league-worst 79.8 yards per game on the ground in 2024. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft netted them Boise State's Ashton Jeanty, a generational running back prospect whose debut was highly anticipated.
Unfortunately, Jeanty's first NFL action was a bit of a flop. During Thursday evening's preseason matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, he had more carries than rushing yards while playing two full series.
Every other running back on the team mustered more yards than Jeanty, which caused Raider Nation to feel a bit worried about their prized rookie. However, there is no reason for the fan base to overreact to just one lackluster game.
Raiders fans should not overreact to Ashton Jeanty's poor performance
Sure, Seattle's first team defense was not out there, but Jeanty only got one carry with the starting offensive line, and it went for a positive gain of three yards. Third-round rookie Caleb Rogers then whiffed on a block that allowed a Seahawks defender to blow up his second attempt.
On his final rush, there was no semblance of a lane for him to run, and he was abruptly replaced by a combination of Zamir White, Sincere McCormick and Raheem Mostert. To make matters worse, Jeanty was outplayed by his former teammate at Boise State, Seahawks running back George Holani.
Next week, when the Raiders take on the San Francisco 49ers in both joint practices and a preseason game, Jeanty will be motivated to prove that Thursday night's performance was a fluke. The matchup should provide more of an indicator of what he is made of with more time and reps with the starters.
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Other rookie running backs who did not live up to expectations in their respective preseason openers and went on to have lengthy careers include Nick Chubb and Melvin Gordon, who each tallied 11 yards in their debuts.
Gordon was also a first-round draft choice, but neither he nor Chubb had the buzz that Jeanty did. Unfortunately, more recent history has indicated that Jeanty's debut was far worse than players like Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey or Josh Jacobs, which is a bit troublesome.
Jeanty also started slow at Boise State, but he finished with the second greatest rushing career in college history. Patience is needed for this generational running back, and in due time, Chip Kelly and the offensive line will figure out their ways to let Jeanty shine even brighter than he did in college.