Ashton Jeanty arrived Friday morning at Harry Reid International Airport, deplaning before beelining to Pearson Community Center. Training camp with the Las Vegas Raiders doesn’t start until July 29, but the second-year running back had somewhere to be:
With the youth of North Las Vegas for his backpack drive.
“I’ve been blessed to have a lot of resources,” said the No. 6 pick in last year’s NFL draft, dressed in a Raiders tee and black athletic pants.
“I feel as if it’s important to help others with what you’ve been given as well.”
Jeanty is entrenched in the community along with the backfield for the silver and black, facilitating a festive afternoon for dozens of local boys and girls. In conjunction with his Running 2 the Future Foundation, he gave away 150 black Nike backpacks and chicken and fries from Raising Canes to a raucous reception inside the gym.
“(Vegas) definitely is home. I’ve definitely been embraced by the city,” said Jeanty, 22, noting he lived most of his offseason in Texas. “I want to embrace the community more and just bring them together and let them know that I’m here to stay, no matter what happens on the field.”
The Raiders retooled after Jeanty’s rookie season resulted in 975 rushing yards and five touchdowns via 3.7 yards per carry and a 3-14 record. Out went former coach Pete Carroll and former quarterback Geno Smith, in came coach Klint Kubiak — as the offensive coordinator with the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks — and quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza.
Along with Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum.
The changes should bode well for Jeanty, beleaguered last year in an overmatched offense with little room to run in space and the NFL’s seventh-most yards after contact.
“We think we should continue to challenge Ashton and get more out of him,”Kubiak said in May amid organized team activities. “… The best player has got to play and we’ve got to get them on the field as much as we can. I don’t know the play snap percentage but you look at (San Francisco 49ers running back) Christian McCaffrey, his play snap percentage is high. So, those great backs, they don’t want to come off the field.”
Preparing for a bigger workload means improving as a pass catcher, a focus for Jeanty this offseason that went with improving his acumen, he said. Jeanty had 346 receiving yards to go with five receiving touchdowns last season and sought to sharpen his route running.
Said Jeanty regarding his offseason goals: “Just overall, (becoming) a more versatile player and adding more value to the team.”
Jeanty also said he studied footage of running backs Kubiak previously coached, including reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, who ran last year for 1,025 yards on 4.6 yards per carry as a timeshare back. Dalvin Cook also cracked 1,000 rushing yards (1,159 yards on 4.6 yards per carry) in 2021 in a version of the system when Kubiak called plays for the Minnesota Vikings.
“The (running backs) that have bought in and all that, they’ve all produced and put up great numbers,” said Jeanty, jacked at 5-foot-8 and 208 pounds. “It’s very exciting to be in the offense and have a chance to be one of the next great running backs in it.”
As for acquainting with Cousins and Mendoza, Jeanty said they’re “great guys” who “both work hard” with “attention to every detail” and expressed an eagerness to cultivate chemistry. Same, he said, for an offensive line that’s bolstered this year by Linderbaum: “Definitely trying to build that camaraderie. A lot of new guys in the building. New coaches. The best thing you can do right now is just build relationships so once you get out on that field, you know who’s got your back.”
Second best thing.
Giving backpacks to the kids is better.
“(Before training camp starts), I’m training hard, man, and also getting a little bit of relaxation. Getting my mind right before I hit the field,” Jeanty said.
Contact Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on X.
