To start the season, Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty is the odds-on favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.
While Jeanty does have Tennessee Titans quarterback and first overall pick Cam Ward nipping at his heels, Jeanty is in tremendous position to light the NFL on fire in his rookie year. He comes into the season as the undisputed starting running back for a Raiders team hoping to find more balance on offense, and both new head coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly have relied on strong running games to open the offense up. In other words, the Raiders are expected to turn Jeanty loose early and often throughout the season, giving him the chance to set rookie records in the same vein as Brock Bowers last season.
Despite all of the excitement surrounding Jeanty, he is not the only rookie running back the NFL is excited about heading into the new season.
An AFC West rival boasts a talented rookie of their own who can challenge Jeanty.
Not too long after the Raiders drafted Jeanty with the sixth overall pick, the Los Angeles Chargers made the decision to draft North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton with the 22nd overall pick.
Just behind Jeanty and Ward, Hampton is the best candidate out of the top two to ascend the rankings and win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. It would give the Chargers their second award-winner in the past six seasons, as quarterback Justin Herbert won the award in 2020. ESPN’s Ben Solak seems to believe Hampton can do exactly that.
“Omarion Hampton will win Offensive Rookie of the Year,” wrote Solak. “I think he will quickly out-touch Najee Harris, and I think the Chargers want to go back to a more run-heavy approach after turning pass-heavy out of necessity late last season. He’ll outproduce fellow first-rounder Ashton Jeanty, too. I see a 1,200-rushing-yard season incoming.”
In fairness, a case can be made that Jeanty and Hampton will battle all season long for the award.
Since taking over as Chargers head coach in 2024, Jim Harbaugh has expressed a commitment towards the ground game, and his two first-round picks in Hampton and offensive tackle Joe Alt in 2024 confirm that. While Hampton does not have the clear path to snaps that Jeanty does, it is expected that he will be the starter shortly during the season. With two talented running backs on teams looking to establish themselves on the ground, both players will be pushed to deliver on expectations this season.
Jeanty has the early edge for Offensive Rookie of the Year, but he may have to look over his shoulder the entire way.
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