When the Las Vegas Raiders selected Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, he was expected to become the focal point of their offense. But with the Raiders struggling mightily on offense overall, Jeanty has been unable to explode on the scene.
That may all change entering Week 13 though. Las Vegas has made a change at offensive coordinator, firing Chip Kelly and naming Greg Olson their interim. As Olson steps in, he has some eye-catching plans for Jeanty's usage, via Jesse Merrick of the Silver and Black Sports Network.
“I think there's a lot of things that he can do besides run the football,” Olson said. “We gotta find him more ways to get him the ball.”
Through his first 11 games at the NFL level, Jeanty has turned 166 carries into 604 yards and four touchdowns. He has added another 37 receptions for 221 yards and four touchdowns.
Las Vegas' game script has not been conducive to a heavy rushing attack. Their point differential of -112 is the second-lowest in the NFL. Plus, the Raider are clearly having problems across their offensive line. Of course, Jeanty needs to step up from his 3.6 yards per carry average. However, he cannot do everything alone.
One thing he can do though is catch passes out of the backfield. In the Raiders' most recent outing against the Cleveland Browns, Jeanty set new NFL career-highs with eight receptions for 58 yards, adding a receiving touchdown in the process.
At 2-9 and already making changes, the Raiders aren't too focus on the postseason. However, Jeanty's development will be crucial for any future success. Getting the ball in his hands more often could turn the running back into the offensive dynamo Las Vegas was hoping for.
