With Ashton Jeanty already in the building, it stood to reason that the Las Vegas Raiders didn't need to invest very much, if at all, in a running back this offseason. But Klint Kubiak didn't want to leave the 2026 NFL Draft without Mike Washington Jr. His wish came true, and he already looks prophetic for it.
Obviously, the Raiders needed reinforcements at the running back position behind Jeanty, but most thought this would come in the form of a cheap veteran or a late Day 3 pick. But Las Vegas actually traded up in the fourth round to land Washington Jr. out of Arkansas.
Based on what the team and fans saw this preseason, Kubiak's endorsement of Washington Jr. was well warranted. Jeanty's injury status also being up in the air early in the 2026 NFL season made it all the more critical that the team had a backup plan, and Washington Jr. seems to be a great one.
Raider Nation has Kubiak to thank for this.
Raiders' Klint Kubiak vouched for Mike Washington Jr. in 2026 NFL Draft
John Spytek spoke to reporters on Tuesday after roster cutdowns, and the second-year general manager fielded a question about Washington Jr. When asked if the young player is hitting his marks or if he's exceeding expectations, Spytek gave Kubiak all the credit.
"Well, I'll give Coach [Klink] Kubiak a lot of credit for this one," Spytek admitted. "He stood on a table for that kid at the start of day three, and [said], 'This is the perfect scheme fit, and we can make this player into a good player. He has what we're looking for.' "
Kubiak wasn't in the building yet when Jeanty was drafted, but it is pretty bold as a rookie head coach to beg your general manager to move up and make an investment in a player who plays the same position as the No. 6 overall pick from the previous year's draft. But Kubiak felt convicted.
And it sounds like Spytek is happy that he trusted his partner, as he was impressed with Washington Jr.'s preseason and expects him to play a role this year.
"It's hard for any rookie to really carve out meaningful minutes and be as productive as you want them to be. And Mike certainly had a great preseason, nobody's taken that away from him, but it gets very real, very fast here now. But I think we're all excited about the track that Mike is on, and I think we have an expectation that he's going to help us win football games this year."
Had Kubiak not "stood on a table" for Washington Jr., who knows what would have happened? Maybe the Raiders would have found another great player at a position of need; it's hard to say. The butterfly effect of this is rather grand. But so far, it's a very good thing that the Raiders nabbed Washington Jr.
Mike Washington Jr. looks like a Day 3 steal and wildly important for Raiders
This preseason, more than any other player on the roster in Las Vegas, Washington Jr. shined. As a rookie, he looked like a man amongst boys while running with the second-team offense, and he even performed well with the 1s. His counting stats were impressive, but the deeper analysis is way better.
All told, Washington Jr. ran 23 times for 168 yards, which is a staggering 7.3 yards per carry. He also caught two passes for 18 yards and, critically, did not give up even a quarterback hurry during his pass protection reps.
When diving a bit deeper, though, it's clear how elite Washington Jr. truly can be. Of his 168 rushing yards in the three-game exhibition slate, 137 of them came after contact. That means he ran for just under 6 yards per carry after contact, which simply confounds reason.
Despite logging the 21st-most attempts in the NFL this preseason, Washington Jr. led the league in yards after contact, was tied for eighth in missed tackles forced and had the most runs of 10 or more yards. He broke two big runs for 53 and 33 yards, showing home run-hitting ability.
Washington Jr. played well enough in a vacuum to siphon some snaps from Jeanty during the regular season. But now that Jeanty's status is up in the air because of an ankle injury he suffered before the preseason finale, Washington Jr. may need to take on a bigger role right away.
If the preseason is a good measuring stick, and in a lot of ways, it is, then Washington Jr. should be up to the task of filling Jeanty's massive shoes. Had the Raiders not taken Washington Jr. in the fourth round, Las Vegas may not have a concrete answer at running back right now.
But Kubiak stood on the table for him for a reason, and it's a good thing that he did. The first-year coach's conviction has seemingly paid off. Let's just hope it stays this way, and the Raiders got an elite running back in the fourth round for Kubiak to hang his hat on.
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