There’s one comparison no young running back wants to hear, and Ashton Jeanty just got it.
On the Check the Mic podcast, PFF’s Steve Palazzolo said: “The Jeanty thing, though, I do feel like every carry he morphs between Trent Richardson. I’m concerned and ‘Oh, man. There it is, tough to tackle.'”
It’s an understandable concern. But a couple of indicators might serve to shut the claim down.
The comp is fair on paper…
Honestly, the numbers do line up.
Through 23 career games, Jeanty has 364 carries for 1,288 yards (3.54 YPC). Richardson, through 23 games, had 381 carries for 1,303 yards (3.42), per Pro Football Reference. That’s nearly identical.
The efficiency rankings are just as ugly. Among backs with at least 100 carries, Jeanty’s yards per carry beat only about 12% of the league in 2025. This year it beats only about 9% (minimum 50 carries). Richardson beat just 9% of qualifying backs in 2012 and 4% in 2013.
The stuff rate is where Jeanty actually looks worse. He’s been stopped for zero or fewer yards on 26.7% of his runs in 2025 and 26.5% in 2026, the worst among qualifying backs in both years.
Richardson was at 20.6% in 2012 and 22.4% in 2013. His “stuff rate” are below-average marks, but a tad better situation than Jeanty.
2026 has been rough. Jeanty is at 98 carries for 313 yards (3.19) with a long of 19 and no runs of 20-plus. As Raiders Beat’s Warren Mitchell noted, “he has run for 189 yards on 65 carries in the last four games.”
So no, Palazzolo isn’t pulling this out of thin air.
Opposite red flags…
Here’s where it gets interesting.
Their pre-draft knocks were almost the opposite.
Richardson was praised for his patience. A 2012 SB Nation scouting report said he “Displays good patience behind the line of scrimmage to wait on a hole to develop.”
Bill Polian called him a “sure thing.”
He busted anyway.
Jeanty’s knock was the reverse.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote before the draft that “Tight hips limit ability to make sharp, downhill cuts” and that he “Might need to gear it down a hair to allow blocks to develop.” That’s showing up on film.
Former Raider Richie Incognito said on the Initial Contact podcast that “it just seems like he’s running with his eyes closed… He’s not very elusive in the backfield.”
Mitchell made a similar point: Jeanty’s “woeful clip of just 2.9 yards per carry is to some degree the fault of the Raiders’ offensive line, but the former first round pick has also missed on opportunities to hit running lanes and make defenders miss.”
Those concerns are fair.
But they’re Jeanty-specific flaws he can coach out. They aren’t proof he’s the next Richardson.
The Raiders offensive line is the bigger story…
Richardson’s Browns ranked 22nd in designed-run efficiency in 2012. His 2013 Colts ranked 21st. Mediocre, not miserable.
The Raiders ranked 32nd in 2025 and 30th in 2026.
NFL.com’s writer Sam Warren found that “the Raiders’ .38 yards per carry before contact is second-lowest in the NFL — the same spot they finished a season ago.” The additions of Tyler Linderbaum and OL coach Rick Dennison “haven’t thus far” fixed it.
Richardson had room and didn’t use it. Jeanty is getting hit almost as soon as he gets the ball.
Add an ankle injury from an Aug. 23 practice. Jeanty was listed questionable and didn’t practice before Week 5. His snap share fell to 53–58% in Weeks 5–6 after sitting at 67–84% earlier.
Verdict: It’s too soon…
The worry is real. The Richardson label isn’t. Not yet.
Trent Richardson flopped even though the running backs behind him were thriving.
Jeanty is struggling while everyone around him struggles, too. And remember, this is a back who has shown real glimpses of what he’s capable of, even with a supporting cast that has largely let him down.
