How does the rookie stack up to the rest of the running backs in the division?
Silver and Black Pride is continuing its annual summer tradition of ranking players in the AFC West for each position group to see where the Las Vegas Raiders stand heading into the 2025 season. The quarterbacks were up first, and now it’s time to stay in the offensive backfield and look at the running backs.
This is an interesting position group for the Raiders as rookie Ashton Jeanty is expected to receive the lion’s share of the carries in Las Vegas this fall. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft has plenty of talent and potential, but is that enough to unseat the other backs in the division?
1. Najee Harris, Los Angeles Chargers
2024 Stats: 263 carries, 1,043 yards (4.0 ypc), 6 TDs
At a position where availability and consistency are often hard to come by with one player, it’s a mystery why the perception of Harris isn’t higher. All the guy has done since entering the league four years ago is play in 17 games and rush for over 1,000 yards every season. Yet many seem to dismiss Harris, and he was only able to garner a one-year, $5.25 million contract in the offseason. Regardless, the former Steeler has done enough to earn the top spot among AFC West running backs heading into the season. Granted, Omarion Hampton is projected to put up a strong fight for the Chargers’ starting running back spot this fall.
2. J.K. Dobbins, Denver Broncos
2024 Stats: 195 carries, 905 yards (4.6 ypc), 9 TDs
Dobbins is the most interesting/confusing running back in the AFC West. He’s been productive when healthy, but the latter part of that statement has been a major problem throughout his career. The Ohio State product has missed more games than he’s played in, sitting out 47 contests and participating in 37. Even in a bounce-back campaign where he finished second in Comeback Player of the Year voting, Dobbins was inactive for four weeks. If the Charger-turned-Bronco can stay healthy in 2025, he could lead the division in rushing yards.
3. Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images
2024 Stats: 83 carries, 310 yards (3.7 ypc), 1 TD
Heading into the 2024 season, Pacheco was the No. 1 running back in the division. However, he slid down a couple of spots after missing 10 games due to injury and recording a career low 3.7 yards per carry. Still, the 2022 seventh-round pick has a large enough body of work to gain some respect in this year’s preseason rankings after logging over 2,100 yards from scrimmage and 14 total touchdowns during his first two years in the league.
4. Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders
2024 Stats (college): 374 carries, 2,601 yards (7.0 ypc), 29 TDs
To be clear, while there are some projections involved with these preseason rankings, what each player has done in the NFL carries more weight. That’s why the two rookies are head of the backups listed in the ‘honorable mention’ category, but are below the proven veteran starters. So, Jeanty could quickly climb up this list with a strong start to the campaign, and most expect that to happen. But, until then, he has to prove himself.
5. Omarion Hampton, Chargers
2024 Stats (college): 281 carries, 1,660 yards (5.9 ypc), 15 TDs
Like the Boise State product, Hampton has a chance to quickly move up the ranks among AFC West running backs. Beating out Harris for the starting job during training camp would be a great first step, and the North Carolina product has the talent to make that a reality. It’s just a matter of how quickly he can adjust to the NFL.
Honorable Mentions: Raheem Mostert (LV), Audric Estime (DEN), Kareem Hunt (KC), R.J. Harvey (DEN)