Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Geno Smith Sets Expectations for 3 Raiders Rookies

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Levi Dombro | Last updated Jun 10, 2025 2:03 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders made the plunge for quarterback Geno Smith right before the 2025 NFL offseason officially began.

New head coach Pete Carroll, given his extensive relationship with Smith, was able to convince first-time general manager John Spytek to send a third-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for his talents.

Smith already has established offensive pieces in Las Vegas like tight end Brock Bowers and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. However, the team will need their young players to step up if this offense wants to get off the ground.

Spytek utilized the team's first pick on a running back and three other selections on wide receivers, so there will be ample opportunity for rookies to carve out a role.

On Monday, the Raiders had their media day at the team facility. Smith spoke about three first-year players in particular that he had high expectations for going into the 2025 NFL season.

"I think Dont'e (Thornton Jr.) and Jack (Bech) have done a great job of just stepping right and becoming a part of this team," Smith said. "We got high expectations for those guys. Ashton (Jeanty), we've got high expectations for Ashton."

Jeanty was the team's No. 6 overall pick. He came to the Raiders from Boise State, where a 2,601-yard, 29-touchdown campaign earned him a runner-up finish in the Heisman Trophy voting.

Bech joined the Silver and Black during the second round after a standout season at TCU. As a senior, he caught 62 passes for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns.

Thornton was a fourth-round pick by Las Vegas. He caught just 26 passes for 661 yards last season at Tennessee, but he led the country with 25.4 yards per reception.

Given the Raiders' league-worst 79.8 rushing yards per game last season, Jeanty is expected to be a fixture on Day 1. Las Vegas also needs a receiver to step up alongside Meyers, who recorded a career-best 1,027 receiving yards in 2024.

Smith's high expectations for these three rookies indicates that they are ahead of schedule with the steep learning curve that the NFL provides.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: