The Raiders selected Washington in the fourth round of the NFL Draft out of Arkansas, and he is expected to be the primary backup for Ashton Jeanty this season. Washington is worth a late-round pick in all seasonal leagues and a second- or third-round pick in rookie-only drafts for Dynasty leagues. While the landing spot wasn't the most ideal for Washington given Jeanty's presence, new Raiders coach Klint Kubiak comes to Las Vegas from Seattle, where he was the offensive coordinator and used multiple running backs with Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. But even after Washington had a great preseason debut with a monster run against the Cardinals, we don't expect Washington to have anywhere near the workload of either Seattle runner from last year. What's more likely is for Washington to get maybe eight low-value touches a week with the rest going to Jeanty as long as he's healthy. Washington is worth stashing in all leagues this season since he'll have lottery-ticket upside if Jeanty were to miss any time.
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Raiders' Mike Washington: Produces another long run
Rotowire
Washington rushed nine times for 56 yards while catching two of three targets for 18 yards in Thursday's 22-20 preseason win over the Texans.
Washington has churned out an impressive 119 yards on 15 carries through two preseason games, averaging a robust 7.9 yards per carry thanks to a 56-yard run against the Cardinals in the previous game and a 33-yard run Thursday against the Texans. The rookie fourth-round pick out of Arkansas has shown nice burst in establishing himself as the favorite to back up Ashton Jeanty heading into Vegas' preseason finale against the 49ers next Thursday.
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Raiders' Mike Washington: Impresses in multiple roles
Rotowire
Washington rushed six times for 63 yards, failed to bring in his only target and returned one kickoff for 22 yards in the Raiders' 27-14 preseason loss to the Cardinals on Thursday.
The rookie fourth-round pick is considered the favorite to open the season as the No. 2 back behind Ashton Jeanty, and Washington did nothing if not help cement that status in his NFL debut. The Arkansas product gained the bulk of his rushing production on his 53-yard scamper during the Raiders' third possession, but he also had a five-yard run wiped out by an offensive holding penalty. Washington averaged a stellar 6.4 yards per carry during his 2025 senior season with the Razorbacks, and he should have ample opportunity to prove his worth as a change-of-pace back during his rookie campaign.
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Raiders' Mike Washington: Unofficial No. 2 back
Rotowire
Washington is listed as the No. 2 running back on the Raiders' unofficial depth chart, Sam Warren of The Athletic reports.
Monday's unofficial depth chart shows that Washington has the edge for the backup role after training camp. The fourth-round rookie is competing with Dylan Laube, Dare Ogunbowale and Roman Hemby to serve as the main complementary option behind Ashton Jeanty. If Washington can continue to impress in practice and preseason, he may be a good fantasy handcuff to Jeanty in 2026. The presence of star center Tyler Linderbaum, who signed as a free agent this offseason, should also benefit any running backs that take snaps for the Raiders during the coming season.
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Raiders' Mike Washington: Goes to Las Vegas
Rotowire
The Raiders selected Washington in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 122nd overall.
Washington saw limited opportunities at Buffalo and New Mexico State, but he burst onto the scene during his fifth and final year in college at Arkansas. He was named to the All-SEC Second-Team in 2025 after turning 167 carries into 1,070 yards (6.40 YPC) and eight touchdowns while adding 28 catches for 226 yards and a score across 12 games. Washington is a big back with a 6-foot-1, 223-pound frame that he used to full effect as a punishing, downhill runner, which should lead to a fair amount of touches on early downs. Ashton Jeanty is still the lead back for the Raiders, but Washington seemingly brings the thunder to the team's backfield that complements the lightning of Jeanty.
