Raiders’ Ashton Jeanty pressure mounting after latest Boise State result, analyst claims lack of ‘it factor’

The crowd is divided on Ashton Jeanty after early struggles in the Raiders’ offense

Through the first two weeks of the 2025 NFL season, sixth overall pick Ashton Jeanty has yet to jump off the page. He scored a touchdown in his league debut, but totaled just 38 yards on 19 carries against the New England Patriots in that game.

The following week, Jeanty managed a 13-yard run against the LA Chargers, but again totaled just 43 yards in the game.

ESPN analyst Ryan Clark took a shot at Jeanty this week:

“I’m telling you all, when Ladanian Tomlinson put his foot in the ground, he would be so far away from you on the next step. The explosion, the lateral quickness, it was different.”

“I don’t see that from Ashton Jeanty. I didn’t see that from him at Boise… to me, I think you get into camp and you realize this might not have been the pick.”

As Chris Maathuis pointed out, we’re just two games into his NFL career, and many of the greats, Emmitt Smith included, took a few games to get their feet under them in the league.

One of the most evident issues is the offensive line.

Raiders offensive line coach Brennan Carroll opted to move Jackson Powers-Johnson to guard this offseason, while putting Jordan Meredith at center. So far, that hasn’t played out the way the Raiders had hoped, and the struggles of the o-line are directly impacting Jeanty’s potential to shine.

Field Yates broke down the numbers this week, explaining the Raiders’ rookie struggles to those who drafted him in fantasy football.

He pointed out that the Raiders have -.23 yards before contact on rushing attempts, which is the worst in the NFL, and that they’re the only team with a negative yards gained before contact number.

Jeanty doesn’t have open lanes to run into, and his offensive line is struggling to work in unison to support the run game.

The concern is that the Raiders drafted a superstar running back before they drafted the line to block for him, and that certainly appears to be the case on Sundays.

Fans are calling for Jeanty to see more of the football after just 11 carries in Week 2 against the Chargers, and the evidence shows that the star potential is there.

Sanjit T., who covers the Raiders, said this week:

“Ashton Jeanty apparently doesn’t have the IT factor, but when you look at the advanced stats, everything says he’s a potential star:

– 8 forced missed tackles is the 3rd most
– Has the 4th highest elusive rating
– Raiders OL ranks as the 4th worst at generated yards for the RB”

Concern that Ashton Jeanty’s opposition and the system at Boise State were a factor in his success

Ashton Jeanty put up video game numbers at Boise State last season, and is now in second place in the history books behind the legendary Barry Sanders.

However, there was conversation around the draft about the level of competition he played against at Boise in 2024, when he recorded 2,601 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns, while averaging seven yards per carry.

This week, the running back who has taken over the starting job at Boise State, Dylan Riley, ran for 171 yards and four touchdowns against Air Force, while also catching five passes for 87 yards through the air.

That performance, while against Air Force, isn’t helping Ashton Jeanty’s case as he struggles in the league.

The Raiders star will want a big performance soon to get the doubters off his back and will face Dan Quinn and his Washington Commanders defense in Week 3.