Pete Caroll, Las Vegas Raiders
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(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
The Las Vegas Raiders made two significant additions to their offense when they traded a 2025 third-round draft pick for Geno Smith. Afterward, the Silver and Black drafted Ashton Jeanty sixth overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.
If the Raiders don’t want to finish at the bottom of the AFC West again, these two players must play a major role in helping Las Vegas secure wins. As a result,PFF’s Dalton Wasserman has a positive outlook for the Raiders’ offense heading into this season.
“This team, you could argue, could be the most improved offense in football, considering where they were last year, which was basically just the Brock Bowers show,” Wasserman said.
What Geno Smith and Ashton Jeanty Bring to the Raiders
After revealing his positive stance on Las Vegas’ offense, Wasserman believes these two players are key to revitalizing the Raiders’ offense. Moreover, he spotlighted specific traits and stats that bode well for Pete Carroll and his team.
“[The Raiders] were second to last in the NFL in passing grade,” Wasserman added. “You bring in Geno Smith, who’s been eighth in the league in passing grade over the last three years, and the best deep thrower in the league. That was one problem that Raiders quarterbacks [had] the last couple of years.
“They were dead last in the league in rushing grade last yearand now you have Ashton Jeanty, who, to me, is the best running back prospect we’ve seen in the last couple of years, at least since Bijan Robinson.I think evenjust that those two guys bring them, Geno Smith and Ashton Jeanty, thisis going to be a fun offense to watch.”
It will be interesting to see if these two players, with a new coaching staff, can make the Raiders offense funto watch, along with other key players like Bowers and Jakobi Meyers.
Could Las Vegas Have Another Threat on Offense?
In his article from August 7, ESPN’s Ryan McFadden spotlighted another player whocan be a key playerto the Raiders’ offense. With Smith willing to throw the deep ball, Dont’e Thornton Jr. could be an impactful player despite being a rookie.
“Thornton, the Raiders’ fourth-round pick, has all the physical traits a team could ask for from a wide receiver. He’s 6-foot-5 and has 4.3 speed,” McFadden wrote.
“Given Smith’s arm strength and willingness to let the ball fly, Thornton has a chance to make some noise early as a vertical threat. Since 2022, Smith has recorded 25 touchdown passes and a quarterback rating of 111.8 on 162 attempts for 20-plus air yards.”
Moreover, McFadden wrote that in training camp and heading into the preseason, Smith and Thornton Jr. had developed chemistry, which is a good sign as the veteran signal caller could have a deep threat to go to this season.
“Smith and Thornton’s chemistry has made progress, with both players connecting quite a bit in the end zone during camp,” McFadden added. “If Thornton’s performance at camp can translate to the regular season, he will make the Raiders’ offense a tougher challenge for opposing defenses.”