If the Raiders' rookie class feels nervous going into their first ever regular season game, you wouldn't be able to tell.
Reflective of the unofficial depth chart ahead of the season opener, two of the nine rookies to make the initial 53-man roster are starters. Another four rookies are slated in as backups, potentially seeing meaningful reps if the situation comes up.
Head Coach Pete Carroll has preached competition in the locker room from the get-go, so it comes as no surprise to see him roll out who he believes are his best players despite their limited experience.
"I love playing young guys, and our young guys will play," Carroll stated emphatically Wednesday afternoon.
The expectations couldn't be higher for any of the rookies, but especially Ashton Jeanty. He was drafted with the No. 6 overall pick after rushing for the second-most yards in a single-season in NCAA history. As the Raiders come off a season in which they ranked last in rushing offense, they made Jeanty the highest-drafted running back since reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley in 2018.
Does Jeanty feel the pressure of the expectations placed upon him?
"[I'm] not going to make it any bigger than it is," Jeanty said. "You're still playing football, still doing what we've been doing, but obviously it's my real debut, so I'm excited."
"Prepare like I have before," Jeanty added. "Obviously, in the NFL details are a step higher, so I'm taking my details a step higher and how I'm preparing for the game, whether that's watching film, making sure I know the playbook in and out, what I'm going to see on defense. But exactly that, prepare like it was a Super Bowl game or not, prepare the exact same way."
Dont'e Thornton Jr. has also earned a starting role heading into his first regular season game. The 6-foot-5 receiver led the nation in yards per reception (24.4) and catches over 50 yards (six) last collegiate season. After watching him in training camp, he could end up leading the Raiders in both of those categories considering the chemistry he's built with Geno Smith on the deep ball. The two also connected on Smith's lone touchdown pass this preseason against the Arizona Cardinals.
"Dont'e [has] done a tremendous job at being available as well as working hard, and he's asking the right questions," Smith said. "He's made so many plays throughout camp. Made that great play against the Cardinals. And there's a lot that we expect of him, but we got to manage those expectations, and we really got to focus on the work, the day-to-day work, and developing guys like that, it's about the process over the results."
In similar fashion to Jeanty, Thornton is excited for an opportunity he describes as a "dream come true." Yet, his focus remains on the team's showing over individual success.
"Expectations is to win, no matter what," the receiver said. "Yeah, I'm a rookie. Yeah, I'm starting. But at the end of the day, it's football. So just going out there with a clear mind, playing free and just having fun playing the brand of ball that I've always been playing.
"Just because it's my first regular season game in the NFL and me starting being a rookie doesn't mean I have to do something spectacular to make something happen. I've just got to go out there and be my normal self and play ball. And with that, I think it's going to work out."
On the defensive side of the ball, cornerback Darien Porter could see significant playing time with Carroll believing he's had "a marvelous camp for us, and has come a tremendous distance." Defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway could also play a role within the interior rotation.
As for the message Carroll is conveying to his rookies: "Lean on the guys around them and don't think that they're the whole show."
"[A]ll I've ever asked of our guys is to be the best they can be. And so, there's that pressure," Carroll said. "It doesn't have to do with outside expectations and all that. I think that allows them to be more calm and more composed and more focused in the moments. That's what we're trying to get done with everybody on the football team, but for the young guys, it's really important too."
