Ashton Jeanty sees one major difference from college to pros

Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty is one of the key factors coming into the season for the Las Vegas Raiders.

He is expected to get the lion’s share of the carries for the Raiders this season, which is what the team had in mind when they drafted him sixth overall in April. However, the transition from Boise State to the NFL has already seen Jeanty make some changes to his game. Earlier during rookie minicamp, the Raiders received attention for offensive coordinator Chip Kelly trying to alter Jeanty’s unique stand-up stance out of the backfield, which has garnered mixed reviews from analysts.

That does not appear to be the only facet of Jeanty’s game being worked on though.

The Raiders are going to get Jeanty involved in all aspects of their offense.

In an interview with Jesse Merrick of the Silver & Black Sports Network, Jeanty described how he is working on evolving his game as a pass-catcher from the backfield.

“I think the only thing that’s a little different is catching the ball out of the backfield a little more. At Boise, I was really just ground and pounding…I feel like that’s a part of my game that wasn’t showing that much at Boise State. So, we’re hoping to bring that to life some more,” Jeanty commented.

Jeanty was never tasked with much responsibility in the passing game at Boise State, only catching 80 passes during his three years there.

However, during his media availability on Thursday after training camp practices, Kelly praised Jeanty’s ‘natural’ ability as a receiver.

“He’s a natural catcher. He played a little bit of receiver in high school when we talked to him,” Kelly said. “I think he played some slot receiver, but he catches the ball naturally. It’s a natural deal for him.”

Being able to serve as a safety valve for quarterbacks has become imperative for running backs in the modern NFL, so Jeanty’s development in that area will be crucial.