What if I told you that regardless of who starts between Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza, that’s not the most important position for the Las Vegas Raiders to be concerned with. The most important position group is the offensive line. Not just for the quarterbacks’ sake, but for Ashton Jeanty too. Jeanty had a decent rookie season, but he didn’t have a great line in front of him. With the multiple additions the Raiders made this offseason including Tyler Linderbaum, that’s what is ultimately going to determine how good the Raiders are.
Jeanty was taken with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and despite a drastically different season from his last year at Boise State, he still rushed for 975 yards. The biggest problem is he rushed for just 3.7 yards per carry (below the league average) and five touchdowns. His revamped offensive line will determine if he can have a better year or if his goal of being a leader on this team will be held back.
Why the Raiders offensive line has the ultimate pressure
In the NFL, you’re only as good as your run game. Averaging 3.7 yards per carry, which is almost a full yard below the league’s average last season (4.4) is exactly why the Raiders had the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. It also doesn’t help that their quarterback led the NFL with 17 interceptions. Be that as it may, Jeanty has to have more of an impact for the Raiders to be a good football team. The only way he can do that is if the guys in front of him block.
"Yeah, I think being more vocal for sure," Jeanty said, per a Sports Illustrated story. "I mean, it's always tough being in the first year trying to figure out so much stuff. But this year, there's a lot of expectations for me and I think I've got to make a big jump. I think that starts with helping my teammates as well and just being a better teammate. So, I think that starts with leadership."
Jeanty should be in line to have that big jump this year and it boils down to the offensive line. With Cousins and Mendoza, the passing game is going to have its moments, but it probably will go through some growing pains. The Raiders’ success will hinge on how well Jeanty runs the ball. And that hinges on how well the five guys in front of him can create running lanes.
Why Ashton Jeanty will have a big jump in the 2026 season
The biggest asset Jeanty brings to the Raiders this season is he’s a good pass catcher out of the backfield. Great pass-catching running backs are premium in the NFL. The Raiders don’t have a lot of perimeter weapons right now, so having someone like Jeanty that can affect both the run and passing game is crucial to Las Vegas’ success. Last season, Jeanty had 346 receiving yards and as many receiving touchdowns as he did rushing (five).
As long as he stays healthy, there’s no reason why he can’t have as much of an impact at the line of scrimmage as guys like Jahmyr Gibbs, Bijan Robinson or De’Von Achane. That’s not to say he has to be like them, but when you look at what those guys mean to their respective offenses, Jeanty has to be right in line with that level of impact.
After all, he was drafted No. 6 overall, meaning the Raiders pinpointed him as a franchise player with game-changing ability. In year two, he’ll either look like the impact player that will take this offense to the next level, or he’ll look like another running back that never reached their full potential and ultimately fell to the background. We’ll have to hold off on calling him a bust for now; there’s still a lot of time for him to develop and the Raiders are deep in the rebuilding phase.
The future of the Raiders is in Jeanty’s hands. Sure Mendoza’s development will ultimately determine just how good the Raiders can be, but without Jeanty, they’ll always feel like they’re one big playmaker away from being contenders.
Add us as a preferred source on Google