Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty, selected as the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, is simply not living up to that hype. After Sunday’s loss to the Rams, his season average has plummeted to a shockingly low 3.1 yards per carry. This isn’t the player they thought they were getting, and the numbers are getting harder to ignore.
The Harsh Reality of the Run Game
This isn’t just a bad stretch; it’s a season-long struggle for Jeanty. He’s logged a total of 106 carries for a mere 328 yards this season. The stats don’t lie: no other runner in the entire league, with his kind of workload, is posting an average this low. That’s a tough pill to swallow for a guy drafted so high.
And you can’t even point the finger solely at the offensive line or scheme. Why? Because his backup, rookie fourth-round pick Mike Washington, is tearing it up with a solid 4.9 yards per carry this season. Washington is consistently finding room to run where Jeanty just isn’t. That discrepancy tells you everything you need to know about who is, and isn’t, making plays when the ball is in their hands.
Missing the Mark on Key Metrics
It’s not just the average that’s a concern. Jeanty isn’t grinding out tough yards either. You’d think with a low yards-per-carry, maybe he’s just getting those crucial short-yardage gains. Nope. He only has 15 rushing first downs so far this season. Let that sink in.
Every single other running back with at least 90 carries this season has more rushing first downs than Jeanty. He’s just not moving the chains consistently when the Raiders need it most. And when it comes to finding the end zone, it’s been a ghost town: Jeanty has only one rushing touchdown. That’s a brutal stat line for a primary back expected to be a game-changer.
Is there any good news? Well, yeah, kind of. Jeanty *is* making plays in the passing game. In that Rams loss, he caught all eight passes thrown his way, showing he’s got hands and can contribute as a receiver out of the backfield. But that’s not why you draft a running back at No. 6 overall. The Raiders need him to transform their ground game, and right now, he’s just not doing it. The pressure is absolutely on for Jeanty to turn this around and start performing like the top draft pick he was.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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