Ashton Jeanty wasn't exactly the game-changing star in his first NFL season that most Las Vegas Raiders fans expected him to be. But with the worst offensive line coach and run game coordinator in the league, the idea of Jeanty having too successful a rookie campaign was dead on arrival.
It is funny, though, that a year of 1,321 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns is considered underwhelming for Jeanty. That just proves how great this young player can be for Las Vegas, and how many strides he can take in 2026 after a very successful offseason for the Silver and Black.
And as much as every decision this offseason has seemingly been catered toward giving No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza every resource and bit of help he could possibly need, looking back, the Raiders did quite a bit to jumpstart Jeanty's career even more, making him a huge winner for several reasons.
Las Vegas Raiders set Ashton Jeanty up for plenty of success with offseason moves
The Athletic's Sam Warren recently produced a piece detailing Las Vegas' biggest winners and losers from the offseason, with the bulk of the roster moves now in the rearview mirror. Jeanty was labeled a winner for three key reasons: Klint Kubiak, Tyler Linderbaum and Mike Washington Jr.
"Jeanty was already a big beneficiary of the Raiders’ early-offseason moves. Bringing in Klint Kubiak as head coach puts Jeanty in a run-heavy scheme more capable of creating open space. Jeanty was constantly hit in the backfield last season, getting few opportunities to flash his explosiveness. Center Tyler Linderbaum’s arrival gives the Raiders’ offensive line an anchor.
"Jeanty was further aided by the draft, as Las Vegas gave him a potential running mate in Mike Washington Jr. Jeanty accounted for 266 carries last season, while the Raiders’ other backs combined for just 41. Washington should be able to shoulder some of that workload and allow Jeanty to expend more energy with his opportunities."
Raider Nation realized the benefit of these moves for Jeanty when they happened, but much of the offseason has been so Mendoza-centric that they forgot to realize how much this is going to catapult Jeanty to stardom as a second-year player. It is night and day from last year, at least on paper.
Kubiak's outside zone running scheme requires patient runners with vision and quickness, as well as flexibility to squirm through holes and use their speed to bounce the run outside when necessary. That practically describes Jeanty's skill set to a T, so he should benefit massively.
Linderbaum is also a mobile lead blocker who is a mauler in the run game, and Jeanty can comfortably follow him as he staves off blockers on the first level and rises to that second level and lays the boom on linebackers to slingshot Jeanty into a homerun play.
Washington Jr. also seems fully capable of shouldering some of Jeanty's load, which some may think hurts Jeanty's value. But it is quite the opposite, as Jeanty will be fresher and much more efficient, as will the offense as a whole, leading to more meaningful touches for the sophomore back.
Yes, Kubiak's presence and a better run game will help Mendoza in the long run. A strong ground attack is a quarterback's best friend. But these moves weren't just an investment in Mendoza; they were a doubling down on last year's No. 6 pick, who should shine bright in Year 2 and beyond as a result.
Add us as a preferred source on Google