Bucky's Breakdown: Ashton Jeanty looked right at home in Klint Kubiak's scheme

Sep 15, 2026 at 07:00 PM

NFL.com Analyst

After an up-and-down rookie campaign that led to whispers about Ashton Jeanty's talent and long-term potential from observers, the football world was anxiously awaiting his debut in Klint Kubiak's system to see if the sixth overall pick from the 2025 draft would flash the dazzling display of playmaking ability that excited members of the Silver and Black front office when they turned in the card on draft night.

With a stellar performance in the Raiders' 27-13 win over the Miami Dolphins, the 5-foot-8, 208-pounder not only silenced his critics, but he also showed the spectacular all-around game that could make him the next star to shine in a system that has catapulted several runners into All-Pro and Pro Bowl consideration.

In the regular-season opener, Jeanty totaled 147 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 29 touches. He tied Brian Westbrook and Christian McCaffrey for the most games with at least 100 rushing yards and multiple receiving yards in NFL history (2), per NFL Research, while showcasing the running and receiving skills that put him in the rare RB1/WR2 category.

As a nimble inside runner with outstanding balance, body control and vision, Jeanty slithers in and out of holes with ease. His rugged running style lets him run through arm tackles and glancing blows, forcing defenders to make sturdy, wrap-up tackles in the hole and open field. The second-year pro generated 73 rushing yards after contact against Miami, per Next Gen Stats, the third-highest total of his career. Kubiak mixed in a hefty amount of inside runs between the tackles (14 rushes for 64 yards with 44 yards after contact), complemented by a few outside runs (nine rushes for 38 yards with 29 yards after contact) that showcased Jeanty's speed around the corner.

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Most importantly, Kubiak consistently handed the ball to the Raiders' lead runner, helping him get into a rhythm as a workhorse. With 20-plus carries for just the fifth time in his career, it's clear the Raiders want to build their offense around his dynamic talents as a playmaker out of the backfield. While old-school running backs were judged solely by their ability to make their mark as downhill runners, the game's evolution requires running backs to impact the passing game as pass catchers.

Jeanty checks off the boxes as a sneaky WR2 with his sticky hands and crafty route-running skills. He is a patient playmaker on screens who understands the timing needed to let his blockers clear a path downfield. Whether catching slow screens out of the backfield or snagging bubble screens on the perimeter, Jeanty's patience was often rewarded with a knockout block that opened an alley down the numbers.

The second-year pro was most impressive as a route-runner executing angle routes and options out of the backfield. He repeatedly whipped linebackers with hesitation fakes at the top of the route, creating significant separation from linebackers out of his breaks, particularly on his first touchdown on an angle route in the second quarter.

As Kubiak and the coaching staff continue to explore ways to put the ball in No. 2's hands, it is easy to envision Jeanty topping 2,000 scrimmage yards as the focal point of an offense that runs through the running back. Given the flashes of star power he showed against Miami, the Raiders' RB1 is poised to jump up the charts as a blue-chip player in a system that showcases his talents as a multi-purpose threat.

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The Las Vegas Raiders defense huddles during the regular season home game against the Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium.