Raiders' Ashton Jeanty Puts NFL on Notice After Breakout Preseason Performance

The Las Vegas Raiders have been mostly an NFL laughingstock for the past 20 years or so. Although they have a new head coach in the proven Pete Carroll and a proven veteran quarterback in Geno Smith, few are predicting any type of major improvement for them.

However, there is one reason for Raiders fans to be hopeful for the immediate future: Ashton Jeanty, the team's talented rookie running back who could have serious star potential.

In the Raiders' first preseason game on Aug. 7, Jeanty got just three carries and didn't net any positive yardage. But on Saturday against the San Francisco 49ers, he showed a flash of what he could become in the years to come.

In seven carries, he gained 33 yards, and early in the second quarter, he scored a touchdown. Earlier in that same drive, he had a 13-yard run during which he overpowered 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenior.

Jeanty made a bold statement with that drive, and he made another one to the media about his overall game.

"I've arrived, and it's time to keep going and make plays for this team," Jeanty said, per ESPN.

Coming into April's NFL draft, Jeanty was considered by many to be the best running back available. He spent three years at Boise State University, and in 2024, he abused opponents to the tune of 2,601 rushing yards and 29 rushing touchdowns.

That prolific production earned him his second Mountain West (MW) Offensive Player of the Year award, as well as MW Male Athlete of the Year award, the Maxwell Award, the Doak Walker Award and the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award.

The 21-year-old is undersized for the tailback position in the NFL at 5-foot-8, but he's extremely difficult to tackle thanks to his speed, quickness and shiftiness. Some scouts and experts even compared him to Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson, the San Diego Chargers legend who set an NFL record with 28 rushing touchdowns in 2006.

Las Vegas suffered a major blow when running back Josh Jacobs, who had led everyone in rushing yards in 2022, left as a free agent in March 2024. But in Jeanty, it may have a major building block moving forward that will give their jealous but frustrated fans a tangible reason for optimism.

Between Jeanty, tight end Brock Bowers, last year's runner-up for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, and star pass rusher Maxx Crosby, the Raiders may finally have a path out of the wilderness they have been stuck in for so long.

For more on the Raiders and general NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.