Ashton Jeanty absolutely lit up Week 1, racking up a massive 147 of the Las Vegas Raiders’ 290 total scrimmage yards in their 27-13 win over the Miami Dolphins. Think about that: 50 percent of their entire offense came from the No. 6 overall draft pick in his second season! It’s crystal clear he’s the focal point going forward, and man, is he delivering!
Jeanty’s Monster Performance Sets the Tone
This guy played 73 percent of snaps against the Fins, totally consistent with his 77 percent average as a rookie. He had 29 touches on just 68 offensive plays, meaning they were force-feeding him the ball every chance. Talk about making an immediate, game-changing impact, right?
Then you’ve got second-round pick Jack Bech, who also got solid run, logging the third most snaps among all the Raiders’ receivers. He played 39 percent of snaps in Week 1, a massive jump from playing more than seven times his whole rookie year. Bech snagged three catches for 23 yards and, yeah, he punched in a touchdown against Miami. The coaches are saying he, like all the receivers, needs to produce more, but seriously, a touchdown is a touchdown! That’s how you get noticed.
Defensive Rookies and Special Teams Surprises
Things got a little rough for third-round corner Darien Porter. He actually straight-up beat out fellow rookies Jermod McCoy and Zeke Masses for a starting gig, which is huge! He played every single snap in Week 1 until he had to leave the game with a foot injury. What a tough break after earning that spot!
But flip to the other side of the ball, and defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway, a fourth-round pick, was an absolute beast. He played 57 percent of the defensive snaps, more than any other D-tackle on the team. He even chipped in with 12 special teams snaps and recorded four tackles, with three assisted, against the Dolphins. That’s some serious early contribution you love to see!
Some other rookies had quieter starts, for sure. Caleb Rogers, a third-round offensive lineman, lost his camp battle at right guard to Jackson Powers-Johnson and only saw six special teams snaps. His O-line buddy Charles Grant, another third-rounder, also only played six snaps on special teams. Wide receiver Dont’e Thornton, a fourth-round pick, will be sidelined for at least three more weeks on injured reserve, which stings.
And then, some healthy scratches were a bit of a head-scratcher for fans. Sixth-round DT JJ Pegues, active for nine of 17 games as a rookie, was totally inactive. But the real shocker? Seventh-round pick Cody Lindenberg. He was a core special teamer and active every single game as a rookie, but Week 1 he was sitting out. You gotta wonder what’s going on there behind the scenes.
So, heading into Sunday’s showdown against the Los Angeles Chargers, all eyes will definitely be on Jeanty. Can he keep carrying that ridiculous offensive load? Will Bech take that ‘produce more’ challenge seriously and light it up? And we’re all hoping Porter gets healthy enough to get back on the field and secure that starting spot. The Raiders got a solid win to kick off the season, but they’ll need these young guys to keep developing and stepping up if they want to build some real momentum this year.
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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