How Raiders' Jeanty Could Flourish Under Kubiak

The Las Vegas Raiders needed to ace their head coaching hire to maximize their potential they have moving forward. They needed to hire someone they could trust with the first overall pick and plenty of money in free agency to use how they'd want.

The man they decided to move forward with is Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, and I think that's the best thing they could've done for their franchise. He was responsible for Sam Darnold making it to a Super Bowl and Jaxon Smith-Njigba winning the Offensive Player of the Year. How will his hiring help Ashton Jeanty, who's looking to avoid a sophomore slump after a disappointing rookie season?

Offensive Evolution

Thomas Valentine writes for Pro Football Focus, and he wrote an article identifying ten players who will flourish under their new head coaches. Jeanty didn't get the carries he needed to produce impressive numbers, and he was playing behind one of the worst offensive lines. Kubiak can help with that with how he's prioritized the run game in every team he's been a part of.

"Kubiak has been one of the best offensive minds in the game for a few seasons now, and takes over the Raiders at a pivotal moment. The team will have the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and looks poised to select Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza. Kubiak will likely get a young and hungry quarterback to develop in his first season in Las Vegas, but it could be Ashton Jeanty (70.4 grade; 35th) who feels the benefit of Kubiak’s hire", said Valentine.

The Raiders are preparing for an offensive evolution next season, and Jeanty will be at the forefront of it. He'll help Fernando Mendoza in his rookie season by giving him a saving grace in just handing him the ball and letting him cook behind, hopefully, an improved offensive line.

"The Raiders' offensive line struggled across the board in 2025, compiling a 56.9 PFF pass-blocking grade — 28th in the NFL — and a 53.0 PFF run-blocking grade — the third-worst. Similarly, Jeanty averaged 0.6 yards before contact per attempt, the worst mark among all players with 100 carries".

Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Raiders guard Caleb Rogers (76) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

There's a lot of hope for the Raiders' offensive line to improve, but they'll also need to seek out free agents to make sure that there is significant improvement for Jeanty and Mendoza. That's the biggest X-factor for Jeanty moving forward in the Silver and Black, but I also think that Kubiak has a talent to bring the most out of his running backs.

"The Seahawks‘ running game had its moments in 2025. Kenneth Walker (91.1 grade; 1st) and Zach Charbonnet (86.6 grade; 3rd) earned career-high grades, combining for 1,955 yards and 21 touchdowns. If the Raiders’ offensive line can improve, and Kubiak’s touch on the offense bears out, Jeanty could be in line for a big bump".

Feb 4, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) speaks to the media at the San Jose Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

No matter what, Jeanty's going to have a productive second season with the Raiders, unless he gets injured. Improved quarterback play will make it so that teams can't focus so heavily on the run game and crowd the line of scrimmage, preventing Jeanty from finding rushing lanes or even facing pressure. Kubiak's offensive schemes go hand in hand with this, with him knowing when it's time to take deep shots, but also when to put the ball in the hands of the running back and play power football.

Part of what made Darnold and Smith-Njigba so effective this season was their hitting big plays in rhythm off the tempo and momentum created by the run game. That same style of offense can be replicated in Las Vegas, and if Jeanty's rookie season showed the NFL world anything, it is that he'll make the most with what he's given.

Jan 4, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) carries the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

As well, Jeanty's abilities as a receiving back weren't fully explored under Pete Carroll, but I expected Kubiak to use Jeanty as creatively as he can. He's able to do more than just catch screen passes, which is evident by his 60-yard touchdown reception, where he ran past the linebacker guarding him and caught the ball in stride to take it to the house.

Jeanty managed to hit 1,000 yards of total offense under the terrible conditions he was playing under in his rookie season. I expect that number to be hit well before the season is over under Kubiak.

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