Ashton Jeanty did more at Raiders mandatory minicamp than just run and catch the ball out of the backfield
The Las Vegas Raiders gave Ashton Jeanty a ton of money on his rookie deal, and he hasn't even played a snap yet. But, they are so positive that he is going to be a great player and a difference-maker for their offense And, they need it, because in the last two years, their offense […]
The Las Vegas Raiders gave Ashton Jeanty a ton of money on his rookie deal, and he hasn't even played a snap yet. But, they are so positive that he is going to be a great player and a difference-maker for their offense
And, they need it, because in the last two years, their offense was one of the worst in the league, both years. And Jeanty plays one of the most important positions, a position that the Raiders didn't really have last year in terms of production. They had the worst running game in the league, so adding Jeanty, who was one of the best college RBs ever, was a good choice.
With them giving him a four-year, $35 million contract with a $22 million signing bonus and $35 million guaranteed, they are going to try and get every penny out of him, even if that means using him in other ways than just running the ball. He's great at that, but he has so many other qualities that would make him great at other things as well.
So, yes, he has been catching a ton of passes while at rookie minicamp and mandatory minicamp. But this last week, he showed something different, something that shows the Raiders really do what to get all that they can out of him.
Raiders put Ashton Jeanty on special teams
Yes, you read that headline right, the Raiders have put Jeanty, their No. 6 pick, on special teams while at mandatory minicamp. No, that doesn't mean that he will be there during the season, but they want to see what all he can do, what he can't do, and how good he is compared to the other players who do actually play those positions.
So, by looking at a video we got from minicamp, it looks like the Raiders put Jeanty on a kick return or punt return, and let him show off his catching, ball tracking, and elusiveness after the catch.
But, because of how brutal it is to play the RB position, I seriously doubt that the Raiders will have him there in the games. He will take enough hits as it is playing RB, he doesn't need more on kickoffs or punts.
And, let's face it, in the AFC West against teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, and Los Angeles Chargers, they will need Jeanty healthy.
Ashton Jeanty is already showing off at Raiders rookie minicamp what we rarely saw from the RB room in 2024
The Raiders have to love what they’re seeing already.
