Former Boise State running back, Ashton Jeanty, was selected with the No. 6 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, to be the Las Vegas Raiders' new savior in the backfield. However, once Raider Nation finds out how new head coach Pete Carroll plans to use Jeanty in his rookie campaign, they might be as enthusiastic as one would expect.
“They’re gonna show us that when they get the chance to compete,” Coach Carroll said. “I love having multiple guys play. I’m not relying on one guy. Thunder and Lightning back in the day, whatever it takes to get it done. We’re going to let the guys play for their play time. Raheem, I love having him. He’s an experienced guy, he’s been a great speedster for years. We’ve defended him for years and he’s been a nightmare for us.”
On the surface, most fans will balk at the idea of a running back by committee situation. However, pairing Jeanty in the same backfield with Raheem Mostert could be a promising idea. It has nothing to do with Jeanty’s ability as he likely could come right in and be that workhorse back everyone expects.
But we’ve seen in the past what leaning on a RB too often, early on can do. Just look at Ezekiel Elliott with the Dallas Cowboys. Drafted in 2016, Elliott burst onto the scene after a stellar career at Ohio State and quickly became one of the top RBs in the NFL. In his rookie year, Elliott rushed for 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns. Both marks have remained career highs.
By the end of his fourth season, we’d already seen Elliott’s peak performance. Between 2020 and 2024, Elliott rushed for over 1,000 yards once. He did that in three of his first four years alone and each time went over 1,300 yards. Dallas ran Zeke into the ground immediately and that was after he’d carried the ball a ton in three years at Ohio State.
The lesson here is patience. Of course, everyone wants to see what Jeanty can do on the pro level, especially Raiders fans. So, it’s understandable how they could be upset at hearing the terms, “RB by committee” or “thunder and lightning,” even if it’s the right move initially. Jeanty will touch the ball plenty in his rookie year and while he may not get 25 touches per game, 15-18 is a safe bet even while sharing the backfield with a veteran like Mostert.