The Las Vegas Raiders drafted Ashton Jeanty to be their workhorse back, and last season, that was absolutely the case. He had 266 carries as a rookie, while all other Raiders running backs combined for 41.
Having a better offense this year will naturally create more opportunities for everyone, but even if rookie Mike Washington Jr. takes a solid chunk of workm Jeanty is the clear-cut No. 1 on the depth chart. Klint Kubiak, after first hinting at an evenly split backfield workload, has confirmed that.
Las Vegas is set, however, to have something of a training camp battle for spots down the running back depth chart. Jeanty is, of course, a lock, as is Washington Jr., barring something so unforeseen it can't be fathomed. Fullback Connor Heyward is also a virtual lock to make the 53-man team.
Dylan Laube, undrafted rookie Roman Hemby and Chris Collier are probably competing for one roster spot, and some would say that Laube has to be clearly unseated. But what if the Raiders made a minor addition to the room that could help fill a somewhat hidden void?
Las Vegas Raiders matched with free agent who may become a uniquely good fit
Moe Moton of Bleacher Report recently took a look at seven bargain bin free agents who can help NFL teams in 2026, with two proposed team fits for each. The Raiders were actually matched with two of those free agents, one of which was veterran running back Antonio Gibson.
Gibson barely played for the New England Patriots last season, totalling 112 scrimmage yards over five games on 52 offensive snaps before suffering a torn ACL. Even if he had been healthy all season, Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson wouldn't have left much work behind for him.
Since topping 1,000 yards from scrimmage in each of his first two NFL seasons with the Washington Commanders, Gibson has not been able to recapture that level or production. But he was able to top 45 receptions in each of the two following years in 2022 and 2023.
Moton noted how his versatile skill set can provide value.
"Gibson's versatile skill set could be appealing to teams that need a pass-catching specialist in the running back room. He can complement a lead ball-carrier who's limited in the passing game or serve as an insurance policy for a platoon that's missing a proven third-down tailback.
"Remember, Gibson played wide receiver in college at Memphis before transitioning to running back. Entering his seventh year, the dual-threat playmaker has 4,782 scrimmage yards and 31 touchdowns on his resume."Â
Pro Football Focus grades aren't the be-all, end-all, but the eye test pretty much backed up Jeanty's 34.1 pass blocking grade last season. Last season's sample was obviously incredibly small for Gibson, but he has posted a PFF pass blocking grade above 75.0 in three of the last four seasons.
With his background as a college wide receiver in mind, Gibson also brings some alignment versatility to the table since he can comfortably line up in the slot and out wide. Kubiak loves to move pieces around to keep defenses on their heels, and Gibson could help accomplish that.
The Raiders don't really seem to need a running back. But they could certainly use a dose of experience behind Jeanty, akin to Raheem Mostert last season, but ideally with a little more of a role in the offense.
If the aforementioned battle for the RB3 spot isn't inspiring much confidence early in camp, Gibson could very well be brought in to help out.
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