Raiders have an interest in a Day 3 or potential UDFA player that’s perfect for what they need to help fix their run game
The Las Vegas Raiders need a backup running back behind Ashton Jeanty, but specifically one that can be used in short-yardage situations. Adam Randall is perfect for that.
Las Vegas Raiders star running back Ashton Jeanty is poised to be one of the best running backs in the league. But he needs some help. Jeanty needs a better offensive line to run behind, a better passing game to take the focus off the run, and a better supporting cast in the RB room.
“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.”
It’s clear the Raiders want to add a backup RB in the draft. Where they do that is the mystery. If they wanted to wait for the sixth or seventh round, or maybe even UDFA, depending on how the draft goes, they could get Adam Randall.
The Raiders recently met with the former Clemson Tigers RB. Randall is a converted RB from the WR position. He’s one of the biggest RBs in the class at nearly 6’3, 233 pounds. Randall ran for 814 yards and 10 touchdowns in his first year at the position. Last season, he was on a terrible Clemson team. That didn’t help his case for how good a player he is. Randall finished his college career with just under 800 receiving yards and five receiving TDs.
Former Clemson RB Adam Randall is the perfect Jeanty backup
Randall’s tape is fun to watch. He’s a big dude who knows how to use his strength and size in the run game. He’s got great pad level when running between the tackles, and often times breaks tackles in the second level purely because of his size. And, sure, he’s big, but he has very good straight-line speed. All of these positives are fine, but there is a reason he is projected as a Day 3 guy.
Randall doesn’t have great lateral quickness. You won’t often see him make a guy miss in a phone booth, as you might see from Jeanty. He’s a very straightforward runner and won’t dance behind the line of scrimmage waiting for a hole to open up. Drops are a concern and a reason he ended up switching from the WR position. He isn’t going to be a good outside zone RB, which is what the Raiders run. However, they aren’t drafting him late on Day 3 to run the scheme Jeanty will run. He needs to be able to do everything that relieves Jeanty.
The Raiders need an RB who can get the job done on the goal line and in short-yardage situations. They also need help in pass pro and an RB that’s a receiving threat. Vegas struggled with all of those last season outside of Jeanty.
Jeanty in 2025 was good, all things considered, but he needs help
Jeanty played as a rookie on the league’s lowest-ranked offense and still finished just under 1,000 rushing yards. He ranked 7th in total carries with 266, but only 18th in total rushing yards.
This limited production reflects circumstances beyond his control. 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. 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. Notably, he accumulated 750 carries in three years at Boise State and over 1,000 in four years overall at the college level. Transitioning to the NFL, where the physical demands and season length are greater, maintaining such a workload is especially challenging for running backs. Given the typically brief careers for the position, it is analytically prudent for Kubiak to reduce Jeanty’s workload.
And, new head coach Klint Kubiak values a running game with two good RB’s, both of whom complement each other well.
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