Who can be Ashton Jeanty’s wingman? Breaking down the top backup RB fits Klint Kubiak covets for Las Vegas
The Raiders need a good backup RB behind Jeanty.
The Las Vegas Raiders have their running back in Ashton Jeanty. However, they may sign another one in free agency, or even take one in the 2026 NFL Draft.
“Yeah, we definitely want to have a two-man show there, guys who can share the load. It’s a long season,” head coach Klint Kubiak told reporters at the NFL Combine. “You don’t want to put all of the carries and targets on one guy. So, right now, we are identifying guys who are available here in the draft, identifying the free agents, and looking at our own roster and seeing who can take that role. It is important that Jeanty has a wingman.”
Ashton Jeanty is great, but he can’t do it all himself
Although Jeanty played as a rookie on the league’s lowest-ranked offense, he finished just under 1,000 rushing yards—a notable achievement. He ranked 7th in total carries with 266, but only 18th in total rushing yards. The Raiders relied consistently on his contributions, but his overall production was limited.
Jeanty’s lack of production reflects circumstances beyond his control. Analysis of his game film indicates frequent hits behind the line due to ineffective blocking—780 of his 975 rushing yards came after contact, and he led the league with 43 broken tackles. Data from Sports Info Solutions shows he was hit at the line 139 times, more than any other player.
Given these challenges, Jeanty handled a significant workload as a rookie, accumulating 750 carries in three years at Boise State and over 1,000 in four years. Given the typically brief careers of running backs, it is analytically prudent for Kubiak to reduce Jeanty’s workload.
Potential free agency running back targets for the Raiders
The Raiders won’t be spending big free-agency money on Kenneth Walker, Breece Hall, or even Travis Etienne—they don’t need an RB1. They do need a cheap RB2 who can run, catch, and block. These guys are all cheap with some sort of connection to Kubiak or the Raiders.
Ameer Abdullah, Indianapolis Colts, $1.5 million APY Estimated Market Value
There’s no telling if he’s even willing to come back to the Raiders. However, he is a perfect scheme fit, would be cheap, and has a connection with Kubiak dating back to their days with the Minnesota Vikings.
Jeremy McNichols, Washington Commanders, $1.5M APY EMV
McNichols also had a relationship with Kubiak dating back to 2023 when they were both on the San Francisco 49ers. McNichols is also cheap and has had over 200 rushing yards in three of the last four seasons he played.
Raheem Mostert, Las Vegas Raiders, $1.2M APY EMV
Mostert was just with the Raiders, but honestly, Chip Kelly’s run scheme wasn’t a good fit for Mostert. He’s a much better wide-zone/gap zone runner and could fit and complement this offense well. Not to mention, he’s cheap and would bring some continuity.
Las Vegas Raiders News
Raiders HC Klint Kubiak says what most are thinking out loud when it comes to RB Ashton Jeanty
The Raiders are going to go through Ashton Jeanty.
