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Raiders Mailbag: Which newcomers made the biggest impact in Week 1?

Sep 16, 2026 at 01:15 PM

Digital Team Reporter

Scott Brunner from Ohio asks:

"Which rookie was most impressive in Week 1?"

I'll give you one on offense and one of defense.

Mike Washington Jr. looked great in his limited reps. He was drafted to be a change of pace back for Ashton Jeanty, and played that part to perfection in Week 1. While only getting seven carries, he totaled 41 yards (5.9 yards per rushing attempt) while also churning out a 18-yard gain that helped set up a touchdown pass to Jeanty to take a 17-3 lead.

"I think we've got two guys that are playing good football," Klint Kubiak said. "Ashton obviously had a really good game, and we expect more from Mike. Not that he didn't play well, I'm saying Mike played really well, but if he were to get 10 more carries, I know he'd do a great job. But it was his first NFL game, and so we got a good look at how he responded against ones versus ones."

Turning our attention to the defensive side of the ball, the obvious answer is safety Treydan Stukes. While playing 100 percent of defensive snaps, he totaled four solo tackles and recorded a 25 percent completion percentage when targeted. His first career interception in the third quarter made him the first Raiders rookie with a defensive interception in his NFL debut since Vann McElroy over 40 years ago.

"It was a great moment," Stukes said. "Happy to share that alongside my teammates because the glory all goes to them. I don't get that play without all the other 10 guys on the field. Super excited to get the first win at home and excited to keep stacking."

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Ruben Adrian Martinez-Ramirez asks:

"Who is our number one WR?"

The Raiders don't have a No. 1 receiver per se, and that seems to be by design.

The leading pass catchers Sunday were Jeanty and Michael Mayer with six receptions each – neither of them being a wide receiver. There was a clear initiative to move the ball around against the Dolphins. Kirk Cousins completed passes to six different targets, with the wide receiving corps accounting for nine catches and a touchdown by Jack Bech.

"Very important and I credit Kirk [for] going through his progressions, not forcing the ball," Kubiak said. "It's going to take a lot of guys to win games this year no matter what team you're on. But I was not surprised that the ball went to so many different guys because we're counting on the whole unit."

Even when Brock Bowers returns from injury, I'd expect for there to be an even distribution among the Raiders skill players moving forward – especially if it equates to more showings like we saw against the Dolphins.

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— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) September 15, 2026

Rich Ganser asks:

"Will this be Jeanty's breakout year?"

Based off what I saw in training camp, I had a good feeling Jeanty would be heavily involved in the offense.

Now there's no secret as to how Kubiak will utilize the running back after his Week 1 showing. Jeanty finished with 147 scrimmage yards and two touchdown catches. He established himself to be a threat in the passing game all the way back in college, notching six receiving touchdowns at Boise State and another five during his rookie season with the Raiders.

With Kubiak calling the shots and an improved offensive line, there's a realistic chance that Jeanty's production will multiply.

"We're not worried about what happened last year," Jeanty said postgame. "This is a new team, new staff and we're building a new culture here, and that's a culture that's going to win football games."

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