Breven Honda
Ashton Jeanty’s rookie season is in the books. The numbers were good. The situation around him wasn’t.
That changes in 2026.
The Boise State alum was the sixth overall pick a year ago and was someone the Raiders got involved early. He turned in 266 carries for 975 yards and five touchdowns. Through the air, he caught 55 passes on 73 targets for 346 yards and five more scores.
That accumulates to 321 total touches for 1,321 yards and 10 touchdowns.
As one of the top offensive weapons for the Silver and Black, let’s dive into what he can become in 2026.
Kubiak’s Run-Heavy Blueprint
Last year in Seattle, as the offensive coordinator, Kubiak had a pair of running backs in his offense. Kenneth Walker III — the Super Bowl MVP two months ago — registered 221 carries for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns. Zach Charbonnet added 184 carries and 730 yards with two touchdowns.
Combined, that totals 405 carries for 1,757 yards and 17 touchdowns last season.
Two years ago, when Kubiak was in New Orleans, Alvin Kamara had 228 carries for 950 yards and six touchdowns. Kamara also led the Saints in receiving with 68 receptions on 89 targets for 543 yards and two more scores. That came with then-Raiders quarterback Derek Carr leading the offense.
That run-heavy approach will be key for what Jeanty is asked to do in Las Vegas. He will be expected to produce weekly.
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What History Says About Jeanty’s Ceiling
Whether it is a bell-cow back or a two-back system, Jeanty is expected to have at least 20 touches per game in a Raiders uniform.
But that production will take more than Jeanty — it will take the entire offense.
“Very excited about his skill set,” Kubiak said of Jeanty during his introductory press conference in February. “Very excited about his talent. The thing I tell him and all his teammates is it’s not one guy. We’ve got to get the line on the same page. We’ve got to get our quarterback to get the right run checks. Our receivers have to go block for him to get the play action going. As soon as our players can realize it’s a team thing and not an individual thing, we’re going to be successful.”
From Kirk Cousins, Aidan O’Connell or Fernando Mendoza to center Tyler Linderbaum and left tackle Kolton Miller to wide receivers Jack Bech and Jalen Nailor, setting the offensive identity with the run will be key.
The only question is how quickly everyone will be able to learn the new scheme.
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The Learning Curve for Jeanty in 2026
From the moment quarterback Kirk Cousins signed with the Raiders, he said “the best quarterback will play.”
Right now, the Raiders have Cousins and Aidan O’Connell on the roster at quarterback. The Silver and Black will add one more signal-caller in presumptive No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza out of Indiana.
In his career, Cousins has had productive running backs — players like Alfred Morris and Dalvin Cook.
Cook’s four best seasons with Minnesota came from 2019 to 2022, all resulting in Pro Bowl selections. That stretch also coincided with Kubiak serving as the Vikings’ quarterbacks coach in 2019 and 2020 before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2021.
In the three seasons Cook, Cousins and Kubiak were together, Cook had at least 249 carries and 1,130 rushing yards per year. He netted 35 rushing touchdowns across those three seasons, including 16 in 2020. Through the air, Cook had at least 49 targets and 34 receptions for 220 yards each year.
In 2019, Cook played 14 games and totaled 250 carries for 1,135 yards and 13 touchdowns, adding 53 receptions on 63 targets for 519 yards.
“It’s a real privilege to work with Klint again,” Cousins said during his Raiders introductory press conference. “I think highly of him as a person. I think highly of his system, his staff, Rick, Andrew, the way they marry run and the pass. It’s a system that makes a lot of sense. Excited to get with them again.”
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The Cousins Factor for Jeanty
One thing that will be worth watching is how quickly Cousins and O’Connell absorb the offense. For Cousins, it is a matter of relearning the scheme.
In addition to Kubiak, Cousins is also reuniting with offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko after their time together in Minnesota. Janocko was with the Vikings for seven seasons, including from 2017 to 2021.
The goal this spring and into the summer will be how much of the offense Cousins can recapture.
“I wanted it to be plug-and-play but as all great offenses do, it evolves,” Cousins said. “I said to Andrew when I first got here, ‘We have a lot to catch up on. It’s been four seasons of football that I haven’t been with you.’ He texted me later and said, ‘I forgot it’s been four seasons. We’ve done a lot in four years that has changed.'”
The Ball Is His
Cousins and the quarterback situation will get sorted out. The offense will take time to install. There will be growing pains.
But one thing isn’t a question: Jeanty is getting the ball. A lot. In an offense built for exactly what he does. Year 2 starts now.
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