We all know about the struggles for the Las Vegas Raiders this season but those offensive line woes do make it hard to evaluate prized rookie Ashton Jeanty in his first year.
The Jeanty debate has officially reached the point where box scores are seen as moral judgments and context is politely shown the door. People are talking about the Raiders’ rookie running back like an old coupon after he had ten carries for 30 yards and a bad yards-per-carry line.
Let’s start with the obvious: running behind this offensive line is less “NFL rushing attack” and more controlled demolition. Jeanty’s Week 14 stat line reads poorly until you notice that 25 of his 30 rushing yards came after contact. That is not a running back failing. That is a running back filing a workers’ compensation claim. Over the past month, Jeanty has been credited with minus-3 yards before contact—meaning defenders are routinely greeting him in the backfield like they have reserved seating.
What is Pro Football Focus saying about Ashton Jeanty?
PFF’s grades reflect the same paradox. Jeanty ranks seventh among first-round rookies overall, yet his weekly grades sag as the Raiders’ blocking continues to resemble a live-fire drill. His “principal opponent” being Nik Bonitto is fitting, since Bonitto spent much of the afternoon arriving uninvited and early.
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The tape shows a back making the first man miss, lowering his shoulder, and squeezing production out of plays that were never designed to succeed. Speaking of success…
In terms of fantasy football…
Fantasy managers, of course, are less interested in nuance. Jeanty hasn’t topped 60 rushing yards since Week 6 and has posted eight straight games under 3.5 yards per carry. Those numbers are real. So is the reason he stayed afloat in PPR formats: volume through the air. When the targets dried up Sunday, the floor collapsed. That is not a revelation. It is how fantasy football works.
But the dynasty panic seems too early. This season has made Jeanty’s profile clearer, if anything. He is not a fake person made by soft boxes or tricks. He is a functional, physical runner with real receiving skills, but he is currently working in a broken ecosystem. Suggesting “low-ball offers” is fine advice—just don’t confuse opportunism with evaluation.
The Raiders can change this equation quickly. Offensive line investment. A new coordinator. Possibly an entirely new staff. Any of those would dramatically alter Jeanty’s outlook. Treating his rookie year as proof of failure ignores both film and math.
Jeanty hasn’t been exposed. The Raiders have. And until that changes, every running back in Silver and Black will continue to look like the problem—right up until they leave and magically stop being one.
*Top Photo: Associated Pres