Ceiling and Floor: Raiders’ Jeanty Will Define Ground Game

Heading into training camp, what's the floor and ceiling of Ashton Jeanty's sophomore season under Klint Kubiak?

Ashton Jeanty | Darrell Craig Harris

The Las Vegas Raiders selected Ashton Jeanty with the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and he had sky-high expectations for his rookie season. He, along with the rest of the Raiders' roster last season, was a massive disappointment in his rookie campaign.

Shackled with a poor offensive coordinator in Chip Kelly and one of the worst offensive lines in the league, he couldn't showcase the talent that made him a Heisman Trophy runner-up in his final season with the Boise State Broncos.

Klint Kubiak | DARRELLCRAIG HARRIS, ON SI

His final rookie stats were 266 carries for 975 yards, five rushing touchdowns, an inefficient 3.7 yards per carry, and one fumble. He also contributed through the air, with 55 receptions on 73 targets for 346 receiving yards, five additional touchdowns, and an average of 6.3 yards per catch. He also fumbled on a catch.

Considering the situation he was in, it's impressive he managed to amass over 1,000 total scrimmage yards. The Raiders know how integral he is to their team, which is why a big focus of their offseason has been supporting the run game. What does his ceiling or floor look like under Klint Kubiak and his system?

Floor

Las Vegas Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

The reality is that unless Jeanty gets injured midway through the season, he's bound to have more rushing yards than he did in his rookie season. He has a better offensive line blocking up front for him, which will open up rushing lanes, and he showcased how much damage he could do when given space.

The question is, just how much will his offensive production increase by? Kubiak wants to win as much as he can in his first year as a head coach, and if Jeanty isn't performing well or gets tired in a game, I can easily see him operating their backfield as a committee.

Mike Washington Jr. | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Mike Washington Jr. was drafted by Kubiak and the new Raiders front office in the fourth round of the 2026 Draft, and he's the exact archetype of a running back Kubiak has favored in his offenses prior. Jeanty's production largely hinges on how much they're enamored of Washington Jr., and how he's performing.

That's why, at his absolute lowest, I think Jeanty will rush for 1,100 yards. There were plenty of games last season where Jeanty had fewer than five or 10 touches, and that won't happen again under Kubiak. He's going to run the ball, and they'll have more success doing it, which will just empower Jeanty and their rushing attack.

Ceiling

Rookie Ashton Jeanty. pic.twitter.com/rM3XVsFk3C

— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) July 12, 2026

Even when his offensive line couldn't block, Jeanty made something out of nothing. With Tyler Linderbaum on the team and Kolton Miller getting healthy, Jeanty is going to see a lot of open space before taking off with his bursts of speed.

If everything goes right for the Raiders, Jeanty should be in the Offensive Player of the Year conversation. Team success factors into whether he'll be getting votes, but that's the type of year he should realistically have with this many improvements around him.

Las Vegas Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

With everything considered, I can see Jeanty rushing for 1,800 yards or more. There are a lot of things that would have to happen for that milestone to be reached, but I think he's going to average a little under or above 100 rushing yards a game.