How Raiders' Run Game Continues To Evolve in Training Camp

After a day off, the Las Vegas Raiders were back at the practice field early Sunday morning. They continue to grind away at establishing a new reality.

Darrell Craig Harris, ON SI

The Las Vegas Raiders have finished with the fewest rushing yards in the National Football League in two of the past three seasons. In the season they did not finish with the fewest rushing yards in the league, they finished with the third-fewest.

There was plenty of blame to go around for that. Las Vegas faced the perfect storm of injuries, subpar player performances, poor quarterback play, lack of depth on the offensive line, and questionable positional coaching, resulting in a dismal ground game.

Raiders Run

Jan 4, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) carries the ball against Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill (23) and cornerback Nohl Williams (20) in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Las Vegas has started nearly as many running backs in the past three seasons as quarterbacks. They have gone through even more offensive coordinators. Las Vegas used the No. 6 pick in last year's draft on running back Ashton Jeanty and still finished with the fewest rushing yards in the league.

Jeanty broke the franchise's rookie record for scrimmage yards behind arguably the worst offensive line in the league last season and the quarterback who finished with the most interceptions last season, confirming that the lack of a ground game had much more to do with who was running the ball.

Several Options

The Raiders' front office aggressively addressed many of the issues that plagued the offense, specifically the ground game, over the past few seasons. They hired a well-respected offensive line coach, Rick Dennison, and, more notably, signed free-agent center Tyler Linderbaum.

Las Vegas' front office invested in its offense this season; Jeanty and the Raiders' ground game will be one of the biggest beneficiaries of those moves. The combination of Klint Kubiak, Andrew Janocko, Dennison, and Linderbaum should set Jeanty up for a breakout season.

May 2, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Mike Washington Jr. (30) warms up during a Rookie Minicamp at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

During training camp, Las Vegas' offense has shown the ability to get Jeanty and their other running backs going in various ways. Every team aims to run the ball, but after years of being one of the worst in the league at doing so, the Raiders are doing all they can to make the ground game the foundation.

Based on camp, Jeanty seems all but sure to have an even better season than he did in 2025. However, the Raiders' improvement on the ground in 2026 will go beyond the talented Jeanty and will also help preserve him moving forward. Kubiak's staff is establishing depth beyond Jeanty.

The Raiders' preseason loss to the Arizona Cardinals put on display much of what has been shown during camp. Jeanty was efficient in brief action, and rookie running back Mike Washington sprung a 53-yard run, which would have been one of the longest runs Las Vegas had all of last season.

Las Vegas still has running back Dylan Laube on its roster, who has earned a roster spot over the past two seasons by becoming a solid special-teams contributor. This offseason, Laube has shown improvement as a running back, adding depth to an already deep position.

Jun 3, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Dylan Laube (23) runs a drill during organized team activities at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In Sunday's practice, Las Vegas placed a significant emphasis on their ground game. I do not recall a time in any practice last season when the Raiders worked as much on their ground game as they did on Sunday and during this offseason's workouts and training camp practices under Kubiak.

As they showed against the Cardinals, the Raiders want to run the ball. They are willing to take whatever defenses give them, whether that be the quiet three-yard gains Jeanty provided or big runs like Washington's. Las Vegas will not be one of the worst rushing teams in the league this season.

Aug 13, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko reacts in the second half against the Arizona Cardinals at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Las Vegas continues to produce practices that are helping them make a clear, undeniable improvement. Sunday was another reminder that although they have a long way to go, the Raiders have gotten better every time they have taken the practice field under Kubiak.

Their loss to the Cardinals also helped them improve, as they looked more polished than they did before their first preseason game. With their first joint practice and second preseason game just days away, it is fair to believe the Raiders will only continue moving in the right direction.

Jun 9, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders coach Klint Kubiak (left) and quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) during minicamp at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Raiders are putting the work in and legitimately getting better. They simply need to continue doing what they are doing and make it to Week 1 as healthy as possible.