The Las Vegas Raiders came under fire for their selection of Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Conventional wisdom said that a team that won just four games the year prior likely has bigger problems to address than a running back.
Through the first three games of the season, that school of thinking seemed prophetic. Las Vegas' rushing attack was, once again, toward the bottom of the league in terms of efficiency and total output. Even though Jeanty was not to blame, it felt like the Raiders made the wrong investment.
Suddenly, however, something clicked in Week 4. The offensive line looked like a completely different unit, and Jeanty looked like he did in the college ranks. So, what changed? It may sound simple or like a minuscule adjustment, but it clearly made all the difference against the Chicago Bears.
Ashton Jeanty's changed stance made him a changed man vs. Bears
In college, Jeanty drew a lot of attention for his dominance on the field, which culminated in a runner-up finish for the Heisman Trophy. But he also turned heads with his unique running style, highlighted by his straight up-and-down pre-snap posture, affectionately dubbed "The Michael Myers Stance."
During OTAs, the Raiders made headlines when Jeanty stated that offensive coordinator Chip Kelly was urging him to change his stance. Pete Carroll followed that up with some joking comments before Kelly finally set the record straight, blaming running backs coach Deland McCullough.
Of course, the coaching staff won this battle, as Jeanty was in a more typically athletic stance with his knees bent through the first three games. On Sunday, however, ESPN's Ryan McFadden noted that Jeanty went back to his stance from college, and it immediately paid off.
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Jeanty lit up the stat sheet and made an electrifying impact against the Bears at Allegiant Stadium, rushing 21 times for 138 yards and a touchdown. He also had two receiving touchdowns and a total of 17 yards through the air, making this his best NFL performance yet, by a large margin.
Something just looked different about the young player in Week 4, and it's obvious now that this simple change in stance has turned him into the star that the team and Raider Nation both expected him to be for Las Vegas.
When asked about the change on Monday, Carroll said that he "loved it." Jeanty also noted that it is more natural for him, so the fan base can assume that it's not going anywhere. Finally, Jeanty's iconic stance returned, and if he continues to play at the level he did on Sunday, it should stay for good.