Don't look now, but the hype surrounding the Las Vegas Raiders keeps building as the offseason wears on. As polarizing as the Silver and Black can be in the national media, the expectations seem to be growing and even a moral victory in June feels good for the franchise.
After two years of inept offensive play, there is plenty of reason for optimism this season. Last year's offense, especially the running game, was incredibly ineffective. But after an offseason of retooling, the cabinet is no longer empty, and one ingredient in particular has the media buying plenty of stock.
That ingredient is running back Ashton Jeanty, who the team grabbed with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Many expect him to be the workhorse back in Las Vegas and one of the league's best as a rookie.
Ashton Jeanty makes NFL.com's All-Rookie team
NFL.com's Gennaro Filice recently unveiled his all-rookie team prediction for the 2025 season, and Jeanty unsurprisingly made the cut for several key reasons.
"Averaging 7.0 yards per carry and 185.8 yards per game, Jeanty fell just 28 yards shy of breaking Barry Sanders' NCAA record of 2,628 rushing yards in a season, carrying Boise State to the College Football Playoff in the process. In many years, that’s more than enough to take home college sports’ most prestigious piece of hardware," Filice wrote. "Jeanty was must-see TV every Saturday, displaying extraordinary contact balance that should translate swimmingly to Sundays. And he’s just what the doctor ordered for the Raiders, who just ranked dead last in rushing yards per carry (3.6) and per game (79.8)."
This is not a surprise to anyone, as Filice and many others expect Jeanty to hit the grounding rookie in his first NFL season. While some criticized the Raiders for taking a running back with such an early selection, nobody denied that Jeanty was one of the best overall players in the class. He is essentially a star before stepping onto an NFL field.
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But Jeanty's talent is only part of the equation, as Pete Carroll wants to run the football because it is a core principle of his teams. Chip Kelly also wants to run the football and has a history of success doing so.
The offensive line is at least average as well, if not above average. To top it off, Geno Smith is a good quarterback, and the Raiders have plenty of weapons to keep defenses from stacking the box.
While naming Jeanty to the All-Rookie team doesn't mean anything until he proves it, optimism in June feels much better than the pessimism of past years. And while his stance has changed, Jeanty is still looming as a Michael Myers-esque threat to the rest of the league. It's about time the Silver and Black have gotten back to invoking fear.