Emergence of Jeanty, Raiders' Rookies Give Glimpse of Future

With the season coming to an end, the Las Vegas Raiders' rookie class has finally begun making tangible progress.

Dec 21, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) holds a banana on the sideline after catching a touchdown pass against the Houston Texans during the third quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Houston, Tex.--This season was supposed to be different for the Las Vegas Raiders. They made sweeping front office changes, hiring a new general manager and bringing in Pete Carroll as their head coach. Those two moves alone were thought to have set the Raiders in the right direction.

Then, Las Vegas assembled what many believed was one of the better draft classes in the National Football League this past offseason. Las Vegas' front office added players at positions of need in nearly every round of the draft. Every draft addition made sense, one way or another.

Watch Jeanty discuss below.

The Raiders drafted running back Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 overall pick. Many feel that is too high for a team with as many needs as the Raiders to draft a running back. Still, selecting Jeanty made sense to help improve the league's worst rushing attack from last season. They had to select Jeanty.

Even if some feel the Raiders should not have drafted Jeanty, it would have been hard to explain them passing on him. Considering their needs at running back since the departure of Josh Jacobs, the Raiders could not say no to the talented running back, as Jeanty could be generational.

Dec 7, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) is tackled by the Denver Broncos defense during the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Raiders failed to provide Jeanty with even a serviceable offensive line, rendering him ineffective for the No. 6 overall pick invested in him. Although Jeanty's quiet rookie campaign is more of an indictment on the offensive line than him, the fact remains that he has not produced much.

Las Vegas used picks on wide receiver Jack Bech, cornerback Darien Porter, and wide receiver Dont'e Thornton. Bech has only recently started to come on, after failing to be able to get on the field on game day until a few weeks ago. By then, the season was all but lost.

During the offseason, it was believed that Thornton would be a viable No. 2 option for Geno Smith and the Raiders' offense. However, his lack of a route tree and inconsistencies quickly voided that idea. With Porter hardly seeing the field, the Raiders' draft class was essentially nonexistent.

With the regular season nearly over, few, if any, of those draft moves have worked out at all. The Raiders have essentially gone through this season with nearly no meaningful impact from an entire draft class. That is a recipe for disaster and a recipe for a 2-13 record.

As the Raiders near the end of the regular season, both Jeanty and Bech had their best games since being drafted. They did so against the Texans' defense, which is one of the best defenses in the league. Jeanty finished with 188 all-purpose yards, including over 100 on the ground.

Bech finished Sunday with two catches for 43 yards, including a 37-yard gain. Both players' production helped the Raiders' offense move down the field and score points, something it has rarely done this season. With the right quarterback and playcaller, Sunday was a glimpse of what is to come.

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