Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty enters his second season, looking to expand not only his game but also his impact. Last season, the former first-round selection caught 55 passes for 346 yards and five touchdowns. Instead of hoping to just replicate those numbers, new head coach Klint Kubiak wants to deploy Jeanty into the Raiders’ passing game in a more profound way.
Details from Henderson keep rolling out as Kubiak begins to move him around, from the backfield to the slot on passing plays. Furthermore, he wants Jeanty to become a more versatile threat, a true three-down running back within the confines of his offense. By taking advantage of Jeanty’s elite contact balance (452 yards after catch), the franchise hopes their cornerstone back can become one of the league’s best.
ASHTON JEANTY HAS:
NOT 1
NOT 2
…BUT 3 TOUCHDOWNS‼️‼️
Raiders lead the Bears 21-16
— Mikerophone (@MikerophoneNFL) September 28, 2025
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Second Level Improvement
Between rushing and receiving, Jeanty broke 32 tackles. With a hopefully better offensive line, the offense can see him get more opportunities in space. The back can quickly advance downfield thanks to his footwork and unexpected strength. Plus, with added routes in the passing game, Vegas envisions him lining up against linebackers who are slower. Moreover, an extra defensive back covering a pattern will be forced to tackle, which may not be his strength.
Ashton Jeanty has been ROUTING UP Raiders defenders all training camp.
Jeanty’s route running abilities and change of direction have reportedly been “giving defenders hell” throughout practices.
The Raiders reportedly look to be planing on utilizing Jeanty’s talent in “almost… pic.twitter.com/qbKvwyP5Zf
— Rookie Watch (@RookieWatxh) August 1, 2025
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Advanced Route Theory
Last season. Jeanty averaged 6.3 yards per reception, which is less than optimal. Those catches occurred during dump-offs, flares, and bailouts when no one else was open. Instead, Kubiak wants to install a system when he is purposeful and intentional in his patterns. Those patterns could be a dig, an angle, or even a slight drag, requiring the defender to trail the rusher. Running backs coach Omar Young outlined the Raiders’ vision for Jeanty.
“The more that [running backs] can do, the better it’s going to be. He goes out there every single day in the special teams period, and he’s working all the routes and trying to get better. I know he talked about that as being one of his goals in the offseason, to go attack that process of being a better route runner, and you’ve seen that show up here.
“Like he already has some stuff, and that dude has really good hands and good stickums. And so, when you talk about the patience and understanding defenses now and how to set things up, I think that’s really cool to see it come to the field and how it plays all out.”
“Whoever got Klint was going to get an A+… That Raiders offense is going to be legit, I promise you that.”@AqibTalib21 & @CodyKessler6 are loving the Klint Kubiak hiring in Las Vegas. pic.twitter.com/yrGPr8XZET
— The Arena: Gridiron (@ArenaGridiron) February 2, 2026
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Emerald City Remake With a Twist
As the Seattle Seahawks‘ offensive coordinator, Kubiak made Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet factors in the passing game. However, with wideouts like Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp, the backs didn’t need to do as much. Now, without an elite receiver on the roster, he will need to make their roles stronger and more defined.
In a timing/rhythm-based offense. Jeanty could surface as more than a last resort. When Kubiak expands his route tree within the offense, the back will act as the short- to intermediate-range threat, slicing under and forcing coverage to vacate gaps through which the Raiders can filter other receivers.
Ashton Jeanty Working on Major Offense Upgrade at Raiders Camp