Raiders.com is rolling out its annual position breakdown series, previewing every position group in the lead up to training camp. Let's dive into the backfield.

What's new

With Mike Washington Jr. still on the board in the fourth round, the Raiders traded up on Day 3 to select the Arkansas Razorbacks running back.

Washington has a unique blend of size, speed and explosiveness. The 6-foot-2, 228-pounder clocked the fastest 40-yard dash (4.33) and 10-yard split (1.51) of any running back at the Combine this year. And while he played just one season for a Power Four conference school, his large sample size of collegiate action includes 29 scrimmage touchdowns and nearly 3,000 rushing yards across Buffalo, New Mexico State and Arkansas.

"[S]uper productive, high character," Brandon Yeargan, Raiders director of college scouting, said after drafting Washington. "We were really excited. We feel like he's a really good fit for Coach [Klint] Kubiak and Andrew [Janocko]'s scheme in the wide zone system. So, pretty fired [up] about him and the person he is too."

The Silver and Black added another rookie to the running back room by signing UDFA Roman Hemby. While he was never regarded as the "lead back" throughout his college career, he still racked up 2,347 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns in four seasons at Maryland. He used his graduate transfer to play with Fernando Mendoza at Indiana, where Hemby rushed for a career-high 1,120 yards en route to a national championship.

Fullback Connor Heywardbrings versatility into the mix with his ability to rush, block and catch out of the backfield in a H-back role. He signed with the Raiders after four seasons with the the Pittsburgh Steelers, who drafted him in 2022. Heyward has recorded five scrimmage touchdowns in his career and also brings special teams value.

"When somebody shows you how much you could mean to an organization like Coach [Kubiak] told me, I couldn't turn it down honestly," Heyward said on Upon Further Review. "How he could use me – I watched the Seahawks Super Bowl, but I watched them all year. I knew he loved tight ends, he loved fullbacks, so this was just a perfect opportunity."

Who's returning

Ashton Jeanty had a promising, yet difficult rookie campaign.

While navigating multiple offensive line combinations and a midseason offensive coordinator change, the 2025 first-rounder still led all rookies in rushing yards (975) and scrimmage yards (1,321). He was equally valuable as a pass catcher, adding 55 receptions and five receiving touchdowns. Jeanty's five touchdown grabs were tied with receiver Tre Tucker for the second-most on the team.

"Just focusing in more on the details," Jeanty said of his mentality going into Year 2, "what the defense is doing, how we're blocking things, coverage, all that type of stuff. 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 other two running backs returning are Chris Collier and 2024 sixth-round pick Dylan Laube. Collier signed a reserve/future contract in January after spending part of last season on the practice squad. Laube saw limited carries in 2025, but played a bigger role on special teams. He averaged 25.9 yards per kick return and his 855 yards off kick returns ranked 10th in the league.

Keep an eye out for...

While Jeanty is still expected to be the lead back, pairing him with Washington could make for quite the tandem. The fourth-rounder has a great opportunity to earn a substantial amount of carries in training camp.

"I think he's going to be a great player for us," Jeanty said of Washington during OTAs. "I like how he's coming to work and just putting his head down and trying to get better each and every single day. So, just super excited to have him in the room."

While the remaining three rushers will compete for additional reps, Laube could continue playing a huge role on special teams.

"I think he's done a great job throughout the OTAs," special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis said of Laube. "He's another one that's really, really sharp, gets the game and he knows the way he's going to make it is by the more he can do, and he's accentuated that all the way through camp. I really like him so far. ... I think he's going to be a good player for us."