After watching the Las Vegas Raiders produce the worst rushing attack in the league last year (79.8 yards on the ground per game), everyone knew what the team was going to do this offseason.
Months and months of mock drafts went by with the Raiders projected to select Ashton Jeanty, and when it was finally time for the actual selection meeting, Las Vegas did just that.
The 21-year-old Heisman runner-up is expected to continue his incredible performance on the field in the NFL after rushing for 4,769 yards and 50 touchdowns on 6.4 yards per carry in 40 career games at Boise State over the last the last three years.
While Jeanty should be the team’s starter in 2025, the Raiders will likely use some other backs to keep him healthy and conditioned throughout the season, including Raheem Mostert, who Las Vegas signed to a one-year, $1.6 million deal earlier this offseason.
In fact, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin believes that Mostert may get more opportunities than most expect this season.
“The Las Vegas Raiders are betting big on Ashton Jeanty at running back, spending the No. 4 overall draft pick on the Boise State product to be a do-it-all weapon for new coach Pete Carroll. Still, Jeanty is a rookie, and Mostert has toted the rock at the NFL level for a decade,” Benjamin wrote. “It’s not unreasonable to think his fundamentals could earn him more reps than expected under the sage that is Carroll. And a lighter workload compared to his peak days with the Miami Dolphins might end up unlocking some of the home run speed that’s propelled him in the past.”
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Mostert, 33, originally signed with the Philadelphia Eagles after going undrafted out of Purdue in 2015. In his first two seasons, he had stints with the Eagles, Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and Chicago Bears before eventually catching on with the San Francisco 49ers.
In San Francisco, Mostert was limited frequently due to injuries, but when he was on the field, he was great, rushing for 1,610 yards and 11 touchdowns on an incredible 5.7 yards per carry.
Then, when former 49ers run-game and offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel left for Miami, Mostert followed him to the AFC East. Over the last three years, he appeared in 45 games for the Dolphins, rushing for 2,181 yards and 23 touchdowns on 4.6 yards per attempt.
While Mostert had a down year in 2024 (278 yards and two touchdowns on 3.3 yards per rush), he’s still a veteran back who can be a great complement to Jeanty. However, considering Jeanty’s ceiling, the rookie should still get the lion share of the opportunities in 2025.
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