Getty

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Despite the challenges in his rookie season, Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty put up respectable numbers. Jeanty was dealt a shaky offensive line, had his stance changed (and the change was reversed), and saw offensive coordinator Chip Kelly fired.

Even with all that going on, Jeanty still recorded a 70.4 overall PFF grade while playing 770 total snaps for the Silver and Black last season. Jeanty carried the ball 266 times for 975 rushing yards and five touchdowns as he averaged 3.7 yards per attempt on the ground while forcing 61 missed tackles as a runner.

Meanwhile, in the passing game, Jeanty caught 55 passes on 68 targets for 346 receiving yards and five touchdowns. As a result, the Raiders standout recorded over 1,000 yards from scrimmage, even with the dysfunction, showing he can play in the league.

Veteran running back Raheem Mostert was on the 2025 Raiders team, and during the June 25 edition of “The Set,” he didn’t hold back his thoughts on Jeanty and the trajectory that the player is going on.

“Hey, when I tell you he’s gonna be one of them ones,” Mostert said about Jeanty. “He is one of them ones now, but he is definitely one of them. He different. I’ve witnessed this stuff with my own eyes.

“The type of stuff he did in practice and then in the game, and it translated. I’ve never seen a dude run over another dude and just keep running. The way he lowered his shoulder, it was crazy. He did that multiple times, not just once.”

Raheem Mostert on What Makes Raiders’ Ashton Jeanty Special

Moreover, Mostert noted what he saw from Jeanty in his rookie season that separates him from other running backs that the 34-year-old has seen during his NFL career.

“He’s the most explosive player I know,” Mostert added. “When he gets that ball, his jump cuts and acceleration are incredible. He could legitimately jump cut in a phone booth and, at the same time, make you feel it. It’s crazy. I’ve seen it. He’ll hit the hole, and you might think he’s been tackled, but he’ll just spring out and pick up another 30 yards.

“He’ll hit the hole, give you a little shake-and-bake move, and then he’s gone. It’s crazy. He doesn’t have true elite speed, but he has more than enough to get up out of there. And if you try to tackle him low or arm tackle him, all that is gone.”

Ashton Jeanty Gets Breakout Player Prediction for 2026

Because the Raiders’ second-year running back 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.”