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Although Ashton Jeanty was a juggernaut in college, the Las Vegas Raiders riskily used the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on a running back when they knew (or should have known) that their offensive line was a big question mark heading into the new season. Their blueprint has yet to pay dividends, as the Heisman Trophy runner-up is averaging a measly 3.1 yards per carry behind a fragile wall of protection. Now, the organization has to pivot, otherwise its investment could be an absolute disaster.
One individual who presumably has close ties to the Raiders after playing and broadcasting for them believes the front office will eventually bring in more reinforcements to help with blocking.
“Right now, the Raiders don’t even have a true starting five, so how can they make changes?” All-Pro OL and former Las Vegas color commentator Lincoln Kennedy told the “Locked On Raiders Squad Show” podcast, via RaidersBeat.com. “Go to whom? You want to try people off the street? I heard that’s probably what they’re going to be doing… bringing in a few free agents to try them.
“And until you get them in the lineup and see what they’re going to do, you have no idea how they’re going to do with the rest of the guys. So before you go shopping… you’re going to have to put up with it until the next payday because there’s really nothing out there that’s just flowing. You look at the rest of the offensive lines, there were a lot of offensive lines that had bad games this weekend.”
Kennedy brings up an excellent point. There is no quick fix for this group. The time to significantly improve the O-Line was in the offseason. Now, head coach Pete Carroll and company just have to hope the guys already on the roster can step up. Fortunately, second-year guard Jackson Powers-Johnson, who posted a 70.4 run-blocking grade last season, per Pro Football Focus, is expected to return from a concussion he sustained ahead of the team’s Week 2 matchup versus the Los Angeles Chargers.
Still, the Raiders will have to figure something out. They traded for quarterback Geno Smith and drafted Ashton Jeanty with the intention of constructing an impactful offense right away. That cannot happen with a leaky offensive line. Until that glaring problem is effectively addressed, it will not feel like a new era in Las Vegas.
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