Las Vegas Raiders fans may not have known much about Klint Kubiak before he became the head coach, but one thing that stood out to everyone watching the Seattle Seahawks last season was their two-headed monster approach at running back with Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet.
Many expected the Silver and Black to go down a similar route this season, even though the team drafted Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 overall pick a year ago. Kubiak even spoke about this early in his tenure, and fans worried about Jeanty's long-term prognosis as a result.
But the Raiders waited until Round 4 of the 2026 NFL Draft to even find a conceivable complement to Jeanty: Mike Washington Jr. Kubiak has since re-pledged his allegiance to Jeanty being the bellcow back, which could negatively affect Washington Jr.'s potential impact, at least in the early going.
When looking at who Washington Jr. is capable of being as a player, though, the Raiders could stumble into a dream scenario with two competent running backs. That is a good problem that every NFL franchise wants, and Las Vegas may very well have it.
NFL comparisons for Las Vegas Raiders rookie RB Mike Washington Jr.
High-end: Latavius Murray
Before fans get too incredulous about this comparison for a fourth-rounder, let's not forget that Murray wasn't Murray when he was drafted. He was a Day 3 pick from a B-list program, at best, but had tons of physical tools to develop. Gee, that sure sounds a lot like the Raiders' Mike Washington Jr.
At 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, Murray is a tad bigger than Washington Jr. at 6-foot-1 and 223 pounds. But Las Vegas' new running back is a bit quicker, has more homerun-hitting speed and has more upside as a pass-catcher. Still, the similarities between these two are stark.
Both are big, tall and physical runners with good speed and straight-line ability, and both possess the skill of making big plays. If Washington Jr. can improve his ball security and clean up his pass pro, then he can be a great running back in the NFL for a decade. And maybe even earn a Pro Bowl, too.
Low-end: Isaac Guerendo
Guerendo, like Washington Jr., is a tall and strong running back with great speed. In fact, he and Washington Jr. ran the exact same 40-yard dash time at the combine and are separated by just one inch in height and two pounds in weight. Their physical profiles are remarkably similar.
And while both are shifty and can maintain contact balance, neither is keen on running between the tackles, preferring to bounce plays outside. Guerendo doesn't struggle with fumbles like Washington Jr. does, but he's failed to separate himself and get snaps when the starting running back is healthy.
He did perform well enough as a rookie, recording what effectively equates to below-average RB2 or good RB3 numbers. But if Washington Jr. gets stuck behind Jeanty, he could suffer a similar fate to Guerendo, getting pushed down the rotation and almost being rendered a pure special teamer.
Most realistic: Zach Charbonnet
We said on draft night that Kubiak landed his Charbonnet in Washington Jr., and that still seems to be the case. In my opinion, both are capable of being the top option in a rushing attack, albeit not a tremendous one, but will likely be a very good complementary piece. That's the sweet spot for them.
Ironically, Charbonnet is a shining example of ball protection, but other than that, the two players have similar builds and running styles, which should bode well in Kubiak's offense for Washington Jr. as it did for Charbonnet. Tall and strong but lean and decisive.
Washington Jr. becoming Charbonnet would be great for the Raiders. If Jeanty is what he's billed to be, then Las Vegas would have two very good running backs to rotate and keep fresh, which would wear down the defense. And that is the ultimate dream scenario.
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