Klint Kubiak didn’t waste much time laying out his running back vision in Las Vegas. At first, he talked about finding Ashton Jeanty “a wingman” to help carry the load. Then he backed off that idea, making it clear he wants Jeanty on the field as much as possible.
Even so, the Raiders may already have a rookie who fits the part if Kubiak decides to lean into it. Fourth-round pick Mike Washington Jr. has been turning heads at training camp, and the early buzz suggests he could carve out a real role in this offense.
Washington Jr. reportedly showed up early in camp working with both the first and second teams, a notable sign with Jeanty still learning the system and needing his own reps. That kind of usage says plenty about where the staff’s head is at. If Las Vegas is already splitting snaps this way, it’s a fair bet they see Washington Jr. as more than just depth.
The rookie kept building from there. On the second day of camp, Silver & Black Sports Network’s Jesse Merrick said Washington Jr. had caught the eye of plenty of observers.
"Mike Washington, to me, is a guy that has popped a handful of times," Merrick said. "I found myself talking to a lot of folks about him today and a little yesterday."
By the third practice, the momentum had grown louder. The Athletic’s Sam Warren reported that Washington Jr. had several strong runs and scored a touchdown during red zone work, while USA Today’s Levi Damien highlighted his receiving ability, especially one catch that stood out.
That steady rise is exactly what the Raiders want from their young players right now. Camp is about competition and growth, and Washington Jr. seems to be giving the staff both.
Offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko was asked after the first practice what Washington Jr. can bring to the run game, and he kept the focus on development.
"Just want to see him get better every day," Janocko said. "He has a unique set of skills and talents. We want to maximize each guy's talents, put them in the best position based on their set of skills to help us win."
Jeanty, too, has seen enough to offer praise. After the second day of practices, he pointed to Washington Jr.’s burst and footwork and said the rookie is raising the standard in the room.
“I mean, he's just getting better each and every single day," Jeanty told the media. "Obviously, he's got great burst, good footwork.
He's continuing to get better each and every single day. I love what I'm seeing from him, and he's continuing to up the standard in the running back room and help make it a better room.”
Kubiak, though, isn’t handing out jobs based on early camp flashes. He’s made it clear that nothing is settled, and that the rookie still has to earn trust, especially in protection.
"Yeah, Mike is a rookie. A rookie back in the NFL is hard work, especially in the protection game.
So we're giving him a ton of reps there, and just keep him growing," Kubiak explained. "It's a competition with Mike, with [Dylan] Laube, with Chris Collier.
We have a lot of good backs here, and those guys also know they're always competing with the rest of the NFL's roster. It's not just our room, so just got to keep giving them reps and see who we can count on."
Collier was waived just hours after Kubiak made those remarks, and UDFA Roman Hemby should also be part of the mix. The Raiders still have options in the backfield, and a veteran addition could still be coming. But right now, Washington Jr. looks like the young back with the clearest path to a meaningful job.
The pads still have to come on, and the rookie still has to prove he can handle pass protection and protect the football. For now, though, Washington Jr. is checking every box he can in camp and making it harder for the Raiders to keep him off the field.
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John Spytek has backed that belief publicly, and the next step is for Powers-Johnson to turn that support into a job he can keep. He is in the mix at right guard and will have to win the competition for the spot, with the Raiders asking him to show the consistency and reliability that were harder to establish during the turmoil around him. [Read more 🡒]