Raiders' Carroll Eyes Ashton Jeanty, Raheem Mostert Split as 'Thunder and Lightning'

Few rookies are generating more excitement than Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty, but it might be a good idea to lower your expectations for the 2025 first-round pick.

Head coach Pete Carroll spoke highly of Raheem Mostert and said he sees Mostert and Jeanty splitting some carries.

"They're gonna show us that when they get the chance to compete," Carroll said, per Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith. "I love having multiple guys play. I'm not relying on one guy. Thunder and Lightning back in the day, whatever it takes to get it done. We're going to let the guys play for their play time.

"Raheem, I love having him. He's an experienced guy, he's been a great speedster for years. We've defended him for years and he's been a nightmare for us."

Carroll did offer some praise for Jeanty specifically:

Granted it was in a different offensive environment, but Carroll didn't hesitate to put the ball in Marshawn Lynch's hands when he coached the Seattle Seahawks. Between 2011 and 2014, Lynch never finished with fewer than 280 carries.

In later years, Seattle did occasionally have a running back-by-committee approach. More often than not, though, that was down to injuries or simply lacking a true No. 1 option rather than Carroll's idealogical vision.

Perhaps Carroll and general manager John Spytek envisioned something similar to how the Detroit Lions utilize Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery together. If that's the case, then sharing the backfield with Montgomery hasn't stopped Gibbs from totaling 3,190 yards from scrimmage through his first two years.

Should Jeanty be as good as everyone expects, it's hard to picture Carroll willfully limiting his impact on the field. You don't pick a running back sixth overall if you only want to use him in a bit-part role.