Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

How Raiders' Jeanty Can Quickly Make History

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Fernando Alfaro-Donis | Last updated Sep 3, 2025 12:30 PM ET

It's less than a week until Raider Nation will get its first real taste of Ashton Jeanty in the Silver and Black. After a relatively disappointing preseason performance , there was a bit of panic among some fans about whether or not the Las Vegas Raiders made the right decision in taking Jeanty so high in the draft.

Projecting how his rookie season will go after a prolific college career is one of the most interesting things Raider fans and analysts can do before the year starts. He couldn't have gone to a better situation than the Raiders, who are more than prepared to give him the rock and let him ball out.

There's a reason why Jeanty has distinguished himself from the rest of the incoming rookies as a frontrunner for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Not only does he have the benefit of having Chip Kelly as his offensive coordinator, but there's no competition as to who will be getting the majority of carries in Las Vegas.

OROY Favorite

A bunch of experts at FOX Sports put together their predictions on which players they believe will win each yearly award for the 2025 NFL season. Jeanty had the most people consider him to be the next OROY, with Henry McKenna giving his reasoning why.

"No rookie has a clearer path to more touches than Jeanty as the RB1 in Pete Carroll’s tough-minded, run-heavy scheme. The passing offense doesn’t exactly have a deep array of assets either, so the offense should run through Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers. Jeanty will put up huge numbers as a rookie", said McKenna.

Kelly always finds a way to be successful on the ground, whether that be at the collegiate level or in the NFL. In Las Vegas, he was gifted one of the most promising prospects at running back the league has seen since Saquon Barkley, and the Raiders are hoping Jeanty can produce similar levels of success.

With Geno Smith at the helm of their offense, teams will be torn between selling out on the run and making sure Jeanty has a hard time establishing himself on the ground, or suffocating the field so that Smith can't make easy completions behind an improved offensive line.

Jeanty will make the Raiders' offense flow smoothly, and when they're in a pinch, they'll be looking towards him to get them out of it. He's practically guaranteed more than ten touches a game, and if you give him that many chances, one of those is bound to be an explosive run that goes in for a touchdown.

This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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