The Las Vegas Raiders didn’t surprise anyone when they drafted Ashton Jeanty in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Jeanty was a favorite of the front office, which is why they felt comfortable mortgaging the No. 6 overall pick on him, despite position value truthers saying it was a reach.
Jeanty didn't live up to his lofty rookie expectations, largely due to poor offensive line play, but he produced during his rookie year with 1,300 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns. An area where he particularly excelled was catching the football, as he caught 55 passes for 5 receiving touchdowns.
That’s where new head coach Klint Kubiak comes in to help maximize his potential. Kubiak worked with Christian McCaffrey in 2023 during his stint with the San Francisco 49ers, so fans could see a similar role materialize for Jeanty. And that has already been highlighted in training camp.
But Jeanty looks a bit different than this time last year, as he dropped a few pounds, which will impact him in a variety of ways.
Raiders' Ashton Jeanty has changed his approach expecting a bigger role
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated was in Las Vegas at training camp on Sunday and noticed Jeanty looking slimmer. He is reportedly down to 207 pounds from 211, in part because he has changed his diet, which he spoke about in a recent interview on CBS Sports.
These changes can help Jeanty in the passing game. He wants to become a better route runner, and slimming down a bit with his height puts him closer to scat-back height and weight. Running backs coach Omar Young has noticed this on the football field so far in training camp.
“He's working all the routes and trying to get better," Young told reporters. "I know he talked about that as being one of his goals in the offseason, to go attack that process of being a better route-runner. And you've seen that show up here, like he already has some stuff, and that dude has really good hands and good stickums.”
Jeanty has spent most of his career as a bruising running back, dragging defenders for extra yards. The loss in weight could affect that aspect of his game, but on the flipside, he could become even more elusive than he has been.
His being a weapon in the passing game could also make a huge difference for this offense and how opposing teams deal with the matchups on defense.
The former Boise State Bronco has high expectations heading into the 2026 NFL season. His preparation in the offseason suggests that he is ready to take the challenge, though. He is the leader of the running back room, and Coach Young is loving what he is bringing to the table.
“He's been doing a great job of that every single day, of just trying to be a leader, but trying to be himself with him being a leader and not trying to do things that's not him," Young said. "So, it's not inauthentic, right? He wants to be his authentic self, and he's doing a really good job of that. He's leading us the right way, and he's got our group going in the right direction. I really like and love how he's attacking that part of it."
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