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(Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)

Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty dealt with plenty in his rookie season, from Chip Kelly changing course on his stance to running behind a struggling offensive line.

Nonetheless, despite the challenges Jeanty faced in Year 1, he was still able to produce for the Silver and Black. Last season, the Raiders star posted a 70.4 overall PFF grade as he carried the ball 266 times for 975 rushing yards and five touchdowns while forcing 61 missed tackles as a runner.

Moreover, Jeanty was impactful in the passing game, recording 55 catches on 68 targets for 346 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Because the Raiders standout showed promise in a tough situation, Yahoo! Sports’ Charles McDonald has Jeanty as his breakout player for the 2026 NFL season.

“It just can’t get that much worse than last year,” McDonald said on the May 5 edition of “Football 301 with Nate Tice.” “I think Kubiak’s scheme will be an upgrade for him compared to what Chip Kelly had him doing last year. The passing game should be better.

“Whether it’s Kirk or Mendoza, they should be more competent there. The overall competency around him should improve. I think that should get him over 1,000 yards, and hopefully, he has a pretty big year because I’m not out on the talent yet.

“I thought last year still showed why he was viewed as a top prospect, even though the Raiders obviously should not have taken him where they did at the top of the draft. He is still excited about his future in the NFL and believes it starts this year.”

Las Vegas Have the Best RB In the Past Two Drafts

Moreover, McDonald shared his high expectations for Jeanty this season, given that he believes the Raiders have a more promising running back, whom he rates higher than Jeremiyah Love, who went No. 3 overall to the Arizona Cardinals in the 2026 NFL Draft.

“Jeanty breaks tackles,“ McDonald added. “[He’s] mean. [He’s] physical.”

Raiders Ready to Roll With Dynamic RB Duo

While Jeanty can be physical and aggressive in his running style, the Raiders don’t want to wear him out. Moreover, new head coach Klint Kubiak has experience splitting the carries with his running backs, as he did with the Seattle Seahawks.

As a result, the selection of Mike Washington Jr. made sense for the Silver and Black as he looks to become the Raiders’ RB2 behind Jeanty. Moreover, Jeanty is excited about the prospect of forming a duo with Washington as Kubiak looks to replicate what he had with Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet.

“I feel good about Mike Washington,“ Jeanty said on April 28 during a livestream on his YouTube channel. “I think our run styles will definitely complement each other. I’m excited for when he gets in the building. We can build this rushing attack and do something special.”

Meanwhile, Washington is more than ready to be that Robin to Jeanty’s Batman in the running game this upcoming 2026 NFL season.

“I’m super excited to get rolling with him,“ Washington said on April 25. “All I could think of is thunder and lightning, so I’m super excited to be the one-two punch with him and to really, like I said before, be a sponge and learn from him at the same time.”