Raiders rookie emerging at the perfect time to hold it down for Ashton Jeanty

The Las Vegas Raiders are breathing a huge sigh of relief with the 2026 NFL season knocking at everyone's door.

The Raiders feared the worst with running back Ashton Jeanty -- an obviously monumental piece of this team's foundation for the future -- going down with an injury at practice. Jeanty was said to have left practice without putting any weight on his leg, The entire team took a knee on the field, making the situation seem even more serious in the moment.

But there are two bits of good news for Raiders fans in the aftermath of that situation. The first bit of good news is that Jeanty suffered a sprained ankle, not a bone break or any sort of devastating knee injury. The second bit of good news is that rookie running back Mike Washington Jr., a fourth-round pick out of Arkansas, looks more than capable of holding down the fort in Jeanty's absence.

Raiders rookie Mike Washington Jr. emerging at exactly the right time

The 2026 class of running backs was probably wrongfully pushed back about an entire round (or two) after both Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price went in the 1st round. A player like Mike Washington had 2nd-3rd round talent at worst, and the Raiders were able to get him with the 22nd pick in the 4th round.

This is a back with an elite size and athleticism profile (6-1, 213 pounds; 4.33 in the 40-yard dash), as well as really notable progression in his game last year at Arkansas after bouncing around from Buffalo to New Mexico State.

Through two preseason games, Washington has 119 rushing yards, and 106 of those rushing yards have come after contact. He's only got 15 carries so far, averaging nearly 8 yards per carry.

The level of productivity has been a really nice development for the Raiders so far, but the injury to Ashton Jeanty now makes his emergence in the preseason mission-critical.

Of course, the much more anticipated rookie for the Raiders is quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the #1 pick in the NFL Draft, the Heisman Trophy winner, and National Champion at Indiana. But it might be a 4th-round pick out of Arkansas at the running back position that ends up hitting the ground running to start the season, literally.

Maybe it's just the fact that he played at Arkansas, but there are some similarities between Washington and former Raiders top pick Darren McFadden. Both backs are the quintessential "slashers" at the position, and perfect fits for the zone running scheme Klint Kubiak is going to be utilizing.

Washington's ability to create big plays off the perimeter as well as his contact balance give him a real chance to help this Raiders' offense with extended carries early on. The only other backs the Raiders have available are Roman Hemby, Dylan Laube, and Dare Ogunbowale. The pressure will be on the rookie starting in Week 1.

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