Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty came into the league with high expectations last season, but he didn’t quite reach them during a dismal year in Las Vegas. Jeanty averaged 3.7 yards per carry and only had four games when he picked up more than 100 yards from scrimmage. Some of the blame for his struggles could be attributed to an offensive line that didn’t offer many holes and poor quarterback play that did little to open up the field, but there’s not much to do to dress up what was a disappointing rookie campaign. On Wednesday, Jeanty discussed his hope for better results in Year 2 and said that drilling down on what he’s seeing on the field has helped him feel more prepared for what’s coming his way in Year 2. “Just focusing in more on the details , what the defense is doing, how we’re blocking things, coverage, all that type of stuff,” Jeanty said, via the team’s website. “So, it’s definitely slowing down, and I think it’s also just repetition as well. The more you rep it, the more the game slows down.” The Raiders hope that they’ve solved some of the other issues that made them the lowest-scoring team in the league last year and a jump forward for Jeanty would be a welcome jolt as well
Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak hasn’t been in his job long, but he’s been in it long enough to know who one of the cornerstones of his team will be this season. Tight end Brock Bowers had 112 catches for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie, but an early-season knee injury forced him to play at less than 100 percent and miss time during his second year. The 2024 first-round pick 64 catches for 680 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games, but it doesn’t sound like any of the knee issues have been troubling Bowers this offseason. Kubiak called Bowers a “standard bearer” for the organization and had a colorful description of what’s impressed him most about Bowers on the field. “He’s kind of a football robot , in a good way,” Kubiak said at a Wednesday press conference. “He’s a football robot from heaven. You know, he’s a Cadillac out there. We gotta get the most out of Brock. Wherever he goes, he’s been successful.” The Raiders have followed up the Bowers selection by taking running back Ashton Jeanty and quarterback Fernando Mendoza in the first round of the last two drafts. If all goes as hoped in Vegas, the trio will be the centerpiece of a lot of winning during the Kubiak era
Last year, the Las Vegas Raiders struggled to create explosive plays. According to Sharp Football Analysis, the Raiders ranked 29th in explosive play rate, which is awful for an NFL offense. Enter young head coach Klint Kubiak, who led a Seattle Seahawks offense that was fourth in explosive play rate after the 2025 season. The big-play offense Kubiak deployed helped the Seattle Seahawks win the Super Bowl in 2025. With his offensive mentality built around chunk gains in the running and passing game, Kubiak and John Spytek went to work adding players who could help in that department. In the running game, they drafted Mike Washington Jr out of Arkansas to match with Ashton Jeanty . In the passing game, Jalon Nailor was the free agent to help in that department, and they drafted Malik Benson out of Oregon in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL draft. Benson ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, displaying his ability to win over the top of a defense. He was one of the main deep threats for the Ducks last season, averaging 16.7 and leading the team in receiving yards with 719. With an open receiver room, Benson’s hands and return ability give him a good opportunity to make the football team. Besides his blazing speed, one thing that stands out about Malik Benson is his hands. He had one drop last season and a drop rate of 2.3% according to PFF. Benson catches everything that is thrown his way. The perfect example is the play below, where he gets a back shoulder on a slot fade from QB Dante Moore . The former Oregon Duck does a great job of tracking the football in the air and makes a toe-drag swag catch using pure hands along the sideline. Here is another example of Benson exhibiting his great hands. In this play against Washington , he is running a dig route over the middle of the field against a zone defense. At the top of his route, Benson stops expecting the pass to hit him between the zone, but the ball is a little ahead of him. He stretches out and grabs the pass out of the air and then uses his YAC ability to finish off the play with a touchdown. Of course, what he truly brings to the table is that he is a serious threat to the Raiders’ offense. He had a big game against James Madison with two touchdowns of over 50 yards. The first one displays how he can just use his pure speed to win over the top. Benson doesn’t use much nuance on the route and just runs past the defender for six and a huge play for the Oregon offense. With a team looking for huge plays from their offense, Benson is the perfect fit for the new look offense. While he might have to earn his stripes returning kicks for the Raiders, he could become a contributor on offense later on in the season
Kirk Cousins is reportedly the first quarterback on the field during Las Vegas Raiders OTAs, ahead of Aidan O'Connell and rookie Fernando Mendoza. Head coach Klint Kubiak has not named a starter, but Cousins is expected to begin the season as the starter due to his experience and familiarity with Kubiak's offense
Even after making 10 selections during the 2026 NFL draft , general manager John Spytek was busy adding 17 undrafted free agents to the roster. Of course, the Raiders are a long way away from having to settle in on a 53-man roster , but let’s take an early look at a few UDFAs who have a good chance to make the cut, considering who is in front of them on the depth chart. Wide receiver is one of the biggest remaining holes on Las Vegas’ roster after the draft. Many expected the club to prioritize the position, but Spytek didn’t add a wideout until the sixth round (Malik Benson). That gives any receiver on the roster a fighter’s chance to make the team during training camp, especially a UDFA who caught passes from Fernando Mendoza last season. Williams managed to haul in 36 receptions for 438 yards and six touchdowns last season, and the 6-foot-3, 205-pound receiver has the frame to fill the void at ‘X’ potentially. Along the same lines, Roberts stands at 6-foot-3 and 209 pounds. He doesn’t have the immediate chemistry with Mendoza, but the BYU product is the better prospect and was more productive than Williams, giving him a leg up if the competition is between the two of them. Roberts had 54 grabs, 802 yards and six touchdowns for the Cougars last season. Another former Hoosier who could find a home in Las Vegas. Hemby toted the rock 230 times and racked up 1,118 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns to be the National Champions’ leading rusher, ahead of San Francisco 49ers ’ third-round pick Kaelon Black. Meanwhile, the Raiders have their first two backs in the fold with Ashton Jeanty and fourth-round pick Mike Washington Jr., but the third spot is very much up for grabs. Hemby will have to beat out Dylan Laube and Chris Collier , and special teams could be the deciding factor, especially since Laube can contribute as a returner. The Indiana product doesn’t have much return experience, but he did return 16 kickoffs in college, including nine last season. Defensively, one of the biggest surprises from the Raiders’ draft was that they didn’t prioritize adding a nose tackle, as Spytek didn’t take a defensive tackle until his last pick of the draft (Brandon Cleveland). That’s good news for Smith, who ranked fourth among Big Ten defensive tackles with an 82.3 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus last season. The 6-foot-1, 323-pound d-lineman also finished third with 24 “ defensive stops ” against the run in 2025. The front office moved on from Daniel Carlson this offseason, replacing Carlson with Matt Gay during free agency. However, Gay made just 73.9 percent of his field goal attempts last season and was in the low 80s during the 2024 and 2023 campaigns. That leaves the door open for Matsuzawa, who hit 93.1 percent of his field goals this past fall. Plus, an elite nickname like ‘The Tokoyo Toe’ has to count for something, right?
Amid a near-total teardown and early-stage rebuild of their roster this offseason, the Dolphins ensured at least one of their cornerstones isn't going anywhere by agreeing to a four-year, $64 million extension with De'Von Achane last week, per CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones . It was a "put your money where your mouth is" situation. The Dolphins had already traded away both Jaylen Waddle ( Broncos ) and Minkah Fitzpatrick ( Jets ) by the time new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan said unequivocally last month Achane wasn't available for trade . Now, Achane has one of the largest contracts at his position. De'Von Achane Extension RB Rank Behind ... Total value $64M 1st N/A Average annual value $16M 3rd Saquon Barkley , Christian McCaffrey Guaranteed money $32M 4th Jeremiyah Love , Barkley, Ashton Jeanty The electrifying 24-year-old registered 1,838 yards from scrimmage last year, sixth in the NFL . His 5.7 yards per carry and 13.4% explosive rush rate were both highest in the league, too. Despite standing just 5-foot-9 and weighing just 191 pounds, Achane played in 16 games last year and recorded a career-high 304 touches, including a team-high 67 catches. The year before, he played in all 17 games and had 281 touches, including 78 catches, showing he's much more than the position name "running back" suggests. He's not alone in that designation, even in his own draft. The 2023 class as a whole, like all classes, had notable busts and notable hits, like Achane, who was a third-round selection. But the running back crop has been excellent, with first-rounders Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs ascending to superstar status, Achane on the precipice and fifth-rounder Chase Brown coming off his best season. Achane's extension brings the focus squarely on what Robinson and Gibbs could fetch this offseason. Because they were first-round picks, they have a fifth-year option on the contract, and the Falcons and Lions , respectively, exercised those options . ESPN's Adam Schefter has said that a Robinson extension should be coming this offseason. Two stars of Robinson's caliber in the 2023 draft class -- Will Anderson Jr . ( Texans ) and Jaxon Smith-Njigba ( Seahawks ) have gotten record-setting extensions already, in fact. Things are a bit more complicated in Gibbs' situation given the team's tight finances , ESPN's Eric Woodyard wrote in February. Gibbs is tied to Detroit for the next two seasons, but a second contract might not come this offseason. After all, the Lions decided against exercising All-Pro linebacker Jack Campbell's fifth-year option due to the looming cap realities. The counting numbers make it easy to see why the Falcons and Lions would want to keep Robinson and Gibbs, respectively. NFL ranks -- last 2 seasons Robinson Gibbs Yards from scrimmage 1st 3rd Touchdowns scored 8th 1st Plays of 10+ yards (among RBs) 1st 2nd That last line is crucial. In recent years, NFL defenses have focused on taking away big plays downfield. That makes players who can turn a short gain into a big one even more valuable. Robinson and Gibbs fit that description to a T. Over the past two years, Robinson has 202 tackles avoided, by far the most in the NFL. Gibbs is second with 162. Only one other player, Kenneth Walker III (who, not coincidentally, also got a nice pay day this offseason), is over 150. It's not just volume, either. Gibbs is tied with Achane for the highest explosive play rate in the NFL over the last two seasons; Robinson is ninth. Age is also on their sides. Robinson and Gibbs are both 24, and neither turns 25 until after the upcoming season. The NFL is obsessed with every data point, and especially age when it comes to running backs. Other top-paid running backs, such as Barkley, McCaffrey and Derrick Henry , were older when they signed their most recent contracts. This offseason, Achane and Breece Hall both got significant extensions in which their age was an advantage. Robinson seems more li
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The Las Vegas Raiders saw around league average production from their rookie class last season, largely because of a struggle to see the field, or the team deciding to play aging veterans over them. 2025 saw Las Vegas select 11 rookies, and most took snaps for Las Vegas last season. With a roster seeing a large amount of turnover due to new coaches, the opportunities for some “sophomores” to take a jump & see more playtime is very likely. RB Ashton Jeanty : Starting RB 2025: 17 Games (770 snaps) | 266 attempts, 975 yards (3.7 ypc), 5 TD, 55 rec, 346 yards, 5 TD, 81 forced missed tackles Jeanty, who turns 23 in December, is the Raiders clear cut starting runningback. While his production doesn’t pop off the charts, largely due to a very poor YPC he did add 10 total touchdowns, ranked 2nd among all runningbacks in forced missed tackles, 5th in breakaway rate, 6th in elusiveness, and 1st in yards after contact/attempt at 3.06 yards. The Raiders OL ranked 32nd in run blocking among basically every single metric, and almost broke the NFL record for YPC before contact at 0.17 (record is 0.14). As a team they ranked 22nd in rushing EPA, largely in part to Jeanty alone, and not the OL or schematics. Jeanty will see an improved OL in 2026, who added Tyler Linderbaum and is likely getting Jackson Powers-Johnson & Kolton Miller back from season ending injuries. Jeanty will have a rotation with 4th rounder Mike Washington, but he’s still the clear cut starter. WR Jack Bech: Starting WR 2025: 16 games (344 snaps) | 20 rec, 224 yards, 3.5 YAC/reception, 55.6% contested catch (5/9), 4.8% drop rate Bech saw his production go up and down across the season, he logged a 23 yar reception in week one vs the Patriots in 4 snaps. Bech played nearly 60% of his snaps from week 13-18 after the team traded Jakobi Meyers , but he also saw snaps and targets taken away for Tyler Lockett . Bech finished his season with 6 receptions for 50 yards in week 14, 17 yards in week 15, and 43 yards in week 16. Bech did flash his route running, he ranked highly in separation for rookies (5th in the NFL), and Bech also had numerous moments where he was able to find space, and was either missed, not targeted, or Geno Smith was sacked. Bech is likely starting opposite of Tre Tucker , with Jalen Nailor in the slot. Bech works well in the 0-14 range, though he does have downfield speed ability. Bech has a good frame at 6’2/215, wins contested catches, and he’s a YAC specialist. He’s just 23, the room for development is still very high and Bech should see a decent volume of targets in 2026, but he’ll need to produce with those. CB Darien Porter: Competition for Starting CB 2025: 17 games (607 snaps) | 42 tackles, 6 PBU, 16% missed tackle rate, 61% reception rate (19/31), 256 yards, 87.6 QBR allowed The Raiders didnt’ see Porter take a snap in week 1 or two, and he was largely a rotational player till week 14 when a torn ACL by Kyu Blu Kelly positioned Porter as the starter. Porter has the size and athleticism to be a high end starting CB in the NFL. He’s a little awkward at times, just given his size and lack of experience at CB. He’s 25 years old, posted a 9.99 RAS, and stands 6’4/200. Porter desperately will need to clean up his run defense, where he was a liability at times, getting out of position, taking poor angles, or having poor form. In coverage, Porter flashed his traits, with good zone instincts, he broke on the ball well, showed an ability to snap off coverages, played physical, and his lower body was extremely fluid. Porter is raw, even at 25 years old, but the Raiders are likely to roll into the season with Porter as the starter, or a high end 3rd corner if Jermod McCoy takes the starting spot opposite of Eric Stokes . Porter showed to be a consistent cornerback, he wasn’t targeted often, and also ranked top 5 among rookie DBs in EPA/target & separation allowed. IOL Caleb Rogers : Competition for Starting G 2025: 6 games (284 snaps) | 179 PBLK snaps, 3
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The Las Vegas Raiders offense has a new system coming in with head coach Klint Kubiak. Kubiak is coming off leading an offense that helped the Seattle Seahawks win the Super Bowl. With him joining the Raiders organization, there are expectations for the offense to improve after struggling since moving to Las Vegas. Kubiak has weapons on the offense that he has a chance to maximize their talents. One of those players in running back Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty is coming off a rookie year where he had 1321 yards from scrimmage and ten touchdowns. The former Boise State Bronco now has a running back friendly system that could lead to a huge season for the young running back. Ben Solak from ESPN believes it will be a breakout season for Jeanty based on the scheme alone. ”Under Kubiak, expect to see more 12 (one RB, two TEs, two WRs) and 13 personnel (one RB, three TEs, one WR), more under-center formations and the inclusion of free agent acquisition FB Connor Heyward . That’s all good news for a running back looking for a jolt. “I’m excited for Jeanty’s Year 2. I think the offense and the line will be better (would be tough to be worse!), and as such, I expect a much more productive season on a down-to-down basis.” If Kubiak can get the best out of Ashton Jeanty, it will take a load off either quarterback who starts games this season. Plus, he in the passing game is an added bonus, and if Kubiak can find a way to keep him involved when throwing the ball, it might become the season fans were expecting when Jeanty was drafted sixth overall. In other Raiders links : UDFA film breakdown from TDL : The Tape Don’t Lie crew deep dives into UDFA signees RB Roman Hemby and edge rusher Cian Sloan. F irst looks at Fernando Mendoza, Mike Washington in official Raiders uniforms : Mendoza and Washington participated in the NFLPA Rookie Premiere, and fans got a first look at the two in Silver and Black. When will Fernando Mendoza start for the Raiders?: CBS Sports gives their prediction that Mendoza could start for the Raiders in 2026
As a second-round pick with an easy-to-root-for story, Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jack Bech was a popular early pick in 2025 dynasty rookie drafts, but his first-year production was terribly disappointing. In a Raiders offense that saw number one receiver Jakobi Meyers traded away after Week 9 and All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers either slowed or sidelined by injury for much of the year, Bech mustered up only 224 yards on 20 catches and failed to find the end zone. He finished eighth in total targets for a team that signed a 33-year-old Tyler Lockett off the street partway through the season. Working in Bech's favor is a lack of competition from what remains one of the league's weakest receiver rooms, along with expectations for the offense to take a massive step forward under new head coach Klint Kubiak. The Raiders invested heavily in the offensive line and spent the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on quarterback Fernando Mendoza. When healthy, Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty will remain the unquestioned lynchpins of the offense, but if Bech can beat out Tre Tucker for a reliable tertiary pass-catching role, he could offer a usable fantasy floor. At only 23 years old, he is RotoBaller's dynasty WR80
SeatGeek is the official NFL Ticketing Partner of the New York Post. We may receive revenue from this partnership for sharing this content and/or when you make a purchase. Featured pricing is subject to change. Geno Smith and Pete Carroll aren’t the only ones who recently updated their LinkedIn. On Thursday, April 23, the Las Vegas Raiders selected 2025 Heisman Award-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first pick and kick-started a new era for the sputtering franchise. After four consecutive losing seasons — the last time the club finished a campaign above .500 was in 2021 when they went 10-7 — new head coach Klint Kubiak will try to turn things around with his blue-chip rookie quarterback. They will have their work cut out for them, though. Although they finished 2025 with a lowly 3-14 record, they still have the seventh-most difficult schedule of any NFL team in 2026 due to the strength of the AFC West, according to Yahoo Sports . That means the revamped squad will go head-to-head with powerhouse franchises like Patrick Mahomes ’ Kansas City Chiefs (Oct. 4), Josh Allen ’s Buffalo Bills (Oct. 18), Matthew Stafford ’s Los Angeles Rams (Oct. 25), Sam Darnold ’s Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks (Nov. 15) and Bo Nix’s Denver Broncos (Dec. 20) at their home Allegiant Stadium this coming season. To make sure they’re prepared, general manager John Spytek retained star defensive end Maxx Crosby (after a botched trade) and brought in splashy center Tyler Linderbaum to protect Mendoza along with sack-happy defensive end Kwity Paye and battle-tested linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker . Standout tight end Brock Bowers , underrated left tackle Kolton Miller and breakout running back Ashton Jeanty will all return as well. Now all that’s missing is you . If you want to get down to “The Death Star” and see if the Men In Black have what it takes (possibly from the Black Hole if you’re a real one), tickets are available for all eight 2026 home games at Las Vegas ’ Allegiant Stadium as of today on SeatGeek. Not familiar with SeatGeek? SeatGeek is a verified secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand. They offer a 100 percent buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and your tickets will be delivered prior to the event. For those who prefer to pick and choose which home games make the most sense to attend, we’re here for you, too. Below, you’ll find a list of all upcoming Las Vegas Raiders home games at Allegiant Stadium, including dates, start times and opponents. Las Vegas Raiders home game dates Dolphins vs. Raiders Sunday, Sept. 13, at 1:25 p.m. Chiefs vs. Raiders Sunday, Oct. 4, at 1:25 p.m. Bills vs. Raiders Sunday, Oct. 18, at 1:25 p.m. Rams vs. Raiders Sunday, Oct. 25, at 1:25 p.m. Seahawks vs. Raiders Sunday, Nov. 15, at 1:05 p.m. Chargers vs. Raiders Sunday, Dec. 13, at 1:05 p.m. Broncos vs. Raiders Sunday, Dec. 20, at 1:25 p.m. Titans vs. Raiders Sunday, Dec 27, at 1:05 p.m. If you think you might find yourself traveling with the Raiders this year, here’s where you can find them on the road once the 2026 season gets underway. Las Vegas Raiders away game dates Raiders vs. Chargers Sunday, Sep. 20 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA Raiders vs. Saints Sunday, Sep. 27 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA Raiders vs. Patriots Sunday, Oct. 11 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA Raiders vs. Jets Sunday, Nov. 1 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ Raiders vs. 49ers Sunday, Nov. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA Raiders vs. Broncos Sunday, Nov. 22 at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, CO Raiders vs. Browns Sunday, Nov. 29 at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, OH Raiders vs. Cardinals Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ Raiders vs. Chiefs Date TBD at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City , MO There is no shortage of ways to watch Raiders games live from the comfort [... truncated ...]
Expectations and excitement are sky high around the Las Vegas Raiders after their 2026 offseason and a lot of revolves around new head coach Klint Kubiak. He’s a proven offensive guru and it is coming to a franchise that badly needs an influx of coaching juice on that side of the ball. To further fuel the excitememt, let’s look at a recent X account post by NFL researcher. The site listed the best and worst yardage rates by offensives on first down in 2025. The eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks , where Kubiak was the offensive coordinator, were tied for the league lead at 6.4 yards per play on first down. Meanwhile, the Raiders were tied for the third worst rate in the league at 4.7 yards. If the Raiders can up their yardage rate by a yard in 2026 that will be a huge improvement and a sign of big progress under Kubiak. In other Raiders’ news: Talking fantasy: Where does Ashton Jeanty fit into the fantasy running abck rankings? Undrafted stars: SB Nation lists the best undrafted free agents who have a shot to make 53-man rosters
Despite not meeting high expectations in his rookie season, Ashton Jeanty is still considered a top-five dynasty running back. With an improved offensive line and new head coach Klint Kubiak, Jeanty is projected to break out as an elite RB1 in 2026, especially with Kubiak's expected emphasis on the ground game
Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty was one of the hottest names in dynasty fantasy football just one year ago. The buzz around the Boise State product has cooled down slightly, and managers should capitalize on this opportunity to acquire the running back in dynasty fantasy football leagues. It felt like there was this perception during the regular season that Jeanty was inconsistent, or perhaps even underperforming. The former may be true, but the latter certainly isn't, as Jeanty finished his rookie campaign as the RB11 in PPR leagues with 975 rushing yards, 346 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns. The softened narrative was likely caused by the state of the Raiders' offense, as the team limped to a 3-14 record that was the worst in the NFL. That narrative will shift in the coming weeks as the Raiders embark on a new chapter with consensus No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza. The state of Vegas' offense is trending up, and Mendoza's presence should drive up the value of all Raiders skill players in fantasy football, including Jeanty. Plus, in a draft that is relatively sparse at the running back position, we don't expect the Raiders to bring in any major competition for the former first-round pick. All in all, Jeanty continues to trend up and should be in the conversation as a potential top-five fantasy running back in 2026. He has top-tier upside in dynasty fantasy football leagues, ranking as RotoBaller's overall RB3. Dynasty managers should buy now before it's too late
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