Discussing Raiders' Laube’s Increased Role in Jeanty’s Absence

This opens the door for the rest of the running back room to step up and shine in Jeanty's absence. Of course, rookie running back Mike Washington Jr. has received the most praise and excitement considering his preseason performances over the past two weeks, where he has broken off big, powerful runs. Kubiak seems confident in the running back room, crediting position coach Omar Young for their preparation.

"Yeah, I think [Mike Washington] had a good camp, and we have to go see him play really good football on Thursday," Kubiak said in the final training press conference on Tuesday. "But like you said, we've got a lot of other guys that have to step up, Dylan [Laube], we've got [Roman] Hemby, we've got Dare [Ogunbowale]. Omar [Young] is doing a great job coaching those guys and getting them ready."

Laube Could See Expanded Role in Raiders Offense

Dylan Laube is the player who stands out to me the most in this running back room, not Washington. The former sixth-round pick in 2024 has many fans in the online draft community, but he has contributed to the Raiders' offense and special teams as both a change-of-pace running back and a return specialist.

I don't fully trust Washington in the passing game just yet. The Raiders have an opportunity to get a look at their young halfbacks in a committee approach. Laube is a player I think could be productive on the ground and as a receiver.

Laube is no Christian McCaffrey, but he is a good runner and pass-catcher. He can fulfill Jeanty's duties on third down with his increased role for the early slate of regular-season games.

Laube is one of the most versatile playmakers on the roster and is the No. 3 running back on the depth chart. His value to the program is already immense, but it grows even more in Jeanty's absence. This is a wonderful opportunity for the third-year running back out of New Hampshire.