The Las Vegas Raiders‘ passing game is still a work in progress, so it’s likely that they’ll rely heavily on the run game in 2026. That’s right up head coach Klint Kubiak’s wheelhouse.
He’s the type of playcaller who wants to run the ball early and often. Fortunately for him, the Raiders already had Ashton Jeanty on the roster, who was the No. 6 pick in last year’s draft.
Jeanty didn’t do much as a rookie, but the Raiders’ offensive line and quarterback play were very poor. Now that the team has added Tyler Linderaum in free agency, upgraded the quarterback and got a better playcaller, expectations should be sky high for Jeanty.
However, the Raiders did draft Mike Washington Jr., who has the potential to be a very good second back. Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated put together 100 bold predictions for the 2026 NFL season. One of his predictions is that Jeanty won’t be the one who leads the Raiders in rushing touchdowns this season.
“The Raiders’ 2025 first-round pick will not be phased out by new head coach Klint Kubiak, but he will find himself in the middle of a far more crowded field of playmakers who are getting time in the new coach’s system,” Orr wrote.
Who Else Would Lead in Rushing TDs?
It would certainly be a big change for Jeanty to not lead the Raiders in rushing touchdowns this season. Last season, he was the only player on the team to get a rushing touchdown. Nobody else on the team rushed for a touchdown in 2025.
That seems impossible, but it’s what happened. Jeanty also only had five rushing touchdowns. The Raiders were last in the NFL when it comes to rushing yards and touchdowns.
A more logical prediction would be that Jeanty doesn’t lead the Raiders in overall touchdowns. There’s not really anybody on the roster who is a logical option to get more rushing touchdowns than him. Washington will likely see the field a lot, but he’s more of a speedster. Jeanty will be the one getting the ball in goal-line situations. As long as he’s healthy, it’s hard to see a scenario where Jeanty doesn’t have the most rushing touchdowns on the team.
Maxx Crosby Predicted to Not Be Raiders Sack Leader
That wasn’t the only wild prediction from Orr. He also predicted that defensive end Maxx Crosby won’t be leading the team in sacks when the trade deadline comes around.
“The days and weeks leading up to the trade deadline provide the next most logical time for the Raiders to attempt to revisit the failed move to ship Crosby to the Ravens,” Orr wrote. “Crosby will be the Raiders’ top-graded run defender and lead the team in pressures, but Kwity Paye will have six sacks to Crosby’s 4.5.”
Now, this isn’t as wild as the Jeanty one, but it would be a stretch. Paye had four sacks last season, so getting to six before the deadline would be a feat. Also, Crosby is coming into the season highly motivated, so 4.5 sacks seems low for him at that point of the season.
Raiders Get Worrying Ashton Jeanty Prediction