'Tough To Bring Him Down': Raiders OC Chip Kelly On Ashton Jeanty

As offseason activities resume for the Las Vegas Raiders, observers are already heaping praise on rookie Ashton Jeanty (and rightfully so).

You don’t draft a running back in the first round, especially in the top ten, unless you think the player’s going to have a monumental impact. You also must have the right scheme, an adequate offensive line, and a quarterback not named Gardner Minshew. Well, the Raiders check off all three of those categories. They brought in Chip Kelly to run the offense, last year’s O-line remains intact, and Geno Smith is now the starting signal-caller. You now have a scenario where Jeanty can flourish. By all accounts, the rookie is already turning heads thanks to one of his biggest strengths: breaking tackles.

Early impressions of Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty…

Following practice, Kelly sang Jeanty’s praises at Raiders HQ. The new offensive coordinator pointed to his running back’s contact balance. He even went on to highlight how quickly Jeanty is picking things up.

“It’s tough to bring him down, and normally, the first guy doesn’t.”

Even Smith was quick to shed his own praise for the former Boise State star, adding that Jeanty is “wise beyond his years.” If you recall, Raiders running backs coach Deland McCullough also gave his assessment this week on Jeanty. He particularly spotlighted Jeanty’s knack for detail, stating “very detailed, very into doing the right things on the football field.” Say what you will, but all of this praise is surely warranted as these coaches have a front row seat in witnessing the rookie’s development.

Yes, it would be easy to dismiss all of this as camp fodder. I mean, who wouldn’t be excited about Jeanty running the ball for you if you’re a Raiders coach. However, Kelly has coached some of the best running backs in recent memory at both the professional and collegiate ranks, he knows a special talent when he sees one.