The Las Vegas Raiders‘ rough 2025 NFL season dragged on with a fourth straight defeat, a 33-16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on November 17 at Allegiant Stadium.
What stood out most was how little the ground game offered. Ashton Jeanty finished with six carries for seven yards, and the offense managed just 27 rushing yards overall.
After the Raiders selected Jeanty with the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, many assumed that Las Vegas would make him a key part of their offense, but that hasn’t been the case.
As a result, NBC Sports NFL insider Mike Florio is questioning the decision to spend a high pick on a player like Jeanty if they didn’t have the proper pieces in place to help him.
“You use the sixth overall pick on a player, and it reminded me of when the Jets signed Le’Veon Bell,” Florio said on the November 18 edition of “Pro Football Talk Live.” “You don’t build a team from the outside in; you build it from the inside out, [and] you don’t go get a potential game-breaking running back if you don’t have the pieces to get the most out of them.
“If you don’t have an offensive line, it doesn’t matter. And he’s not Barry Sanders. Barry Sanders didn’t need an offensive line. I remember as the draft was approaching, Chris Simms pointed out Ashton Jeanty looked dominant, but when you put him up against Penn State, it wasn’t the same as it was against the teams Boise State usually plays.
“So you bring him to the NFL, and maybe he’s not going to be that game breaker. You need the other pieces in place to let a great running back be great.”
Should the Raiders Regret Drafting Ashton Jeanty?
Florio followed up those remarks about drafting Jeanty by stating that Las Vegas should’ve traded down to secure more draft picks while selecting a player who can genuinely help right away without needing other pieces around him to function.
“They could have traded down,“ Florio added. “When you look at the holes on that roster, they were in a prime spot with the sixth pick. Trade down. Get more picks. Get more players. Build your team from the inside out, not the outside in. And in hindsight, that really was a mistake.”
Ashton Jeanty Sounds Off After Latest Raiders Loss
With the Raiders out of playoff contention, the focus should be on giving rookies meaningful experience to prepare for 2026. That hasn’t happened, though. After the loss, Jeanty discussed his limited opportunities running the ball against the Cowboys and the challenges he’s facing in his rookie season.
“I don’t call the plays,“ Jeanty told reporters postgame. “I mean, that’s up to the guys upstairs. So I just take whatever I get… Just continue to trust in my faith, trust in God and his plan for me. Obviously it’s not going the way I want it to, but it’s already written, and whatever is in the future will happen, but I just got to continue to keep going and finish the year strong.”
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