The No. 6 overall draft pick, Ashton Jeanty, saw his play time and workload absolutely crater in the Raiders’ 38-33 win against the New York Jets last Sunday. This wasn’t just a slight dip; the Boise State product played a career-low 40 percent of the snaps and, more critically, had a shocking two carries. Yeah, you read that right. TWO carries, while rookie fourth-round pick Mike Washington somehow racked up a whopping 25 carries in the same game. You gotta wonder what’s going on in that backfield!
Jeanty’s Shocking Workload Shift
Seriously, when your top-10 pick barely touches the ball and a fourth-rounder gets 25 carries, that’s not just a change, that’s a whole new playbook. Raiders coach Klint Kubiak tried to brush it off, saying the decision had nothing to do with Jeanty’s “disparaging words” about the Jets’ defense. But come on, a top prospect goes from featured back to an afterthought in one week? That’s a major development, no matter how Kubiak spins it. This backfield just got way more complicated, and everyone’s watching to see if Jeanty gets more work against the 49ers. If this trend continues, it changes everything we thought we knew about the Raiders’ offensive plan.
Draft Class Health and Performance Report
It wasn’t just Jeanty making waves, or lack thereof. The entire 2026 draft class for the Raiders had a mixed bag of results and some seriously head-scratching moments.
* **Jack Bech:** The second-round pick returned from a broken forearm that kept him on injured reserve for four games. He played 40 percent of the snaps, same as Jeanty, but was not targeted at all as a wide receiver. Not exactly a triumphant return, was it?
* **Darien Porter:** This third-round pick had the worst luck, injuring his groin on the very first play from scrimmage. His availability for Sunday’s game is totally unknown.
* **Caleb Rogers:** Another third-round pick, Rogers got benched after starting two games at right guard. Rookie Trey Zuhn stepped in, and Kubiak indicated Zuhn will be the guy against the 49ers. Rogers only saw two plays on offense and six on special teams. Ouch.
* **Charles Grant:** The third-round offensive lineman didn’t play on offense, which has been his norm, but he did log five snaps on special teams.
* **Dont’e Thornton:** Activated from injured reserve, the fourth-round wide receiver was a healthy scratch. You can’t say that’s “overly encouraging,” can you?
* **Tonka Hemingway:** Yet another fourth-round pick, Hemingway suffered a stinger for the second time since Week 5. His availability for Sunday is also unknown.
* **JJ Pegues:** This sixth-round defensive tackle was inactive for the fifth time this season. It’s a bit of a surprise since he had a forced fumble in Week 7 and the team just waived Jonah Laulu. Meanwhile, Tim Keenan, elevated from the practice squad, has been getting quality playing time the past two weeks, leading to speculation that a Keenan-for-Pegues roster move could be in play.
* **Cody Lindenberg:** The seventh-round pick played 18 snaps on special teams, which is his usual. He didn’t play on defense, a week after getting three defensive snaps, his first defensive action of his career.
So, what’s next for this crew? The Raiders are heading to face the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, and you know everyone’s going to be watching that backfield situation with Jeanty and Washington. Will Jeanty get back to being the No. 6 pick, or was that two-carry performance a sign of things to come? We also need to keep an eye on the injury reports for Porter and Hemingway, and see if Zuhn holds onto that starting right guard spot over Rogers. And will the team make a move with Pegues and Keenan? This early season drama is heating up for the Raiders, and it feels like every snap, every carry, every roster decision from here on out has massive implications for their future.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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