For Raiders Ashton Jeanty, NFL history on his side for successful run
After being selected sixth overall in last year’s NFL draft, expectations for Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty were sky-high.And why not?Fresh off a breathtaking career at Boise State, where he torched defenses for 2,601 yards during a spectacular junior season, his dynamic skill set seemed tailor-made for the NFL.It didn’t translate.
Not even close.Yes, Jeanty finished with 975 rushing yards, but his 3.7 yards per carry told the real story.
A back too often met in the backfield, with little room to operate and even fewer chances to find a rhythm.By season’s end, Jeanty’s top-10 draft status wasn’t just being second-guessed, it was being openly challenged.The dreaded “bust” label had already started to creep into the conversation.Did the Raiders reach?Take a breath.
Jeanty is going to be just fine.More than that, he might be the least of their concerns.
History suggests something far more compelling is in play, the kind of turnaround that flips the entire narrative.Look no further than former Rams star Todd Gurley.His leap from 2016 to 2017 wasn’t about suddenly becoming a better running back overnight.It was about everything around him finally catching up to his talent.In 2016, Gurley was stuck behind a subpar offensive line, operating in a stale, predictable system that gave him little chance to succeed.
The numbers reflected it: 885 rushing yards on 278 carries — a pedestrian 3.2 yards per attempt — along with 43 catches for 327 yards.Sound familiar?At the time, even in Los Angeles, there were whispers: Was Gurley a bust?One year later, the answer was emphatic.
Gurley exploded for 1,305 rushing yards and added 788 through the air, all while carrying the ball just one more time than the year before.So, what changed?Everything that mattered.The Rams moved on from defensive-minded head coach Jeff Fisher and handed the offense to a rising playcaller in Sean McVay. They fortified the offensive line with veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth...