Rookie running back class hits 246-yard low

The collective ground output for the 2025 rookie running back class fell to 246 yards in Week 6 of the 2026 season. That total marks the worst weekly performance for the group since entering the league. Only once has the class surpassed 600 yards in a single week since their dominant Week 4 debut last year.

Injuries have sidelined many of the highly touted prospects. Only three draft picks from the class, Ashton Jeanty, Ollie Gordon II, and LeQuint Allen Jr., have been active for every game their teams have played. Gordon and Allen have served as backups for most of that time. Jeanty has played through an ankle issue that persisted from the preseason into the current campaign.

Jeanty’s statistics illustrate the group’s broader struggles. The Raiders’ No. 6 overall pick has averaged 3.5 yards per carry over 372 attempts. His negative 0.27 EPA per rush attempt is the worst mark among backs with at least 150 carries since the start of 2025. His 32.8 percent success rate ranks second to last in the league, and his minus-16 first downs over expectation is the lowest in the NFL.

The Raiders’ offensive line has not helped Jeanty’s numbers. He was hit at or behind the line of scrimmage 47.2 percent of the time in 2026. Ninety-one percent of his rushing yardage came after initial contact. He has no run of more than 20 yards and only five runs of 10 or more yards on 105 attempts this season. Rookie Mike Washington Jr., playing behind the same line, averages 4.9 yards per carry and has recorded two runs of 21 or more yards.

Short-yardage efficiency remains a critical weakness for Jeanty. Running backs convert 66 percent of attempts in those situations across the league. Jeanty has converted 45 percent of his attempts, the worst rate among backs with at least 20 tries since 2025. He also has five drops on the season, including three in a single game against the Chargers.

Omarion Hampton faces similar hurdles with the Chargers. The first-round pick averages 3.6 yards per carry in a rotational role. He has lost two fumbles and holds a 37.5 percent success rate, which trails the league average of 39.4 percent. Ankle injuries cost Hampton two months of the 2025 season and limited his role in the playoffs.

The class’s early promise has faded into a year of inconsistency. While some players are finding roles, the group has not replicated the production levels that defined their arrival. The 2025 draft class has yet to show the sustained impact that prospect scouts projected when the group entered the league.