Mike Washington Jr. gave the Las Vegas Raiders an early reminder of why they spent a fourth-round pick on him in the 2026 draft. In the first preseason game of 2026, the rookie running back finished with 63 yards on six carries, including a 53-yard run that stood out as the night’s most explosive play.
For a team looking to build a physical identity, that kind of burst matters. Washington Jr. is already being viewed as part of a smash-mouth approach alongside Ashton Jeanty, and this first look suggested he can add a different kind of threat as well: quick acceleration through a crease and the ability to turn a routine carry into a field-flipping gain.
A big run that changed the feel of the drive
Washington Jr.’s longest carry came in the second quarter, when he broke free for 53 yards. That one play accounted for the bulk of his production, but it also told the Raiders something useful about what he can do when space opens up. He does not need many touches to create a result that grabs attention.
That matters because the Raiders are not simply asking him to be a volume runner. The early indication is that Klint Kubiak can use him in a rotation, with the rookie offering enough burst to punish defenses that overplay the first and second levels.
What the fit looks like under Klint Kubiak
There is also a scheme question that makes Washington Jr. worth watching closely. He came from an Arkansas system that primarily used a gap scheme, while Kubiak prefers a wide zone scheme. That is not a small adjustment, but it does not appear to have slowed him down in his first preseason outing.
The bigger point is that Washington Jr. does not have to be the finished product already. If he can combine his physical running style with enough comfort in the new system, he gives the Raiders a chance to keep pressure on defenses with two backs who can run through contact and threaten chunk plays.
It is only one preseason game, but it was a useful one for Washington Jr. The Raiders have seen the rookie deliver a clear sign of his upside, and now the next step is seeing whether that first impression can carry into a larger role as the season build-up continues.
