Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has been impressed with Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Ashton Jeanty.
“He’s a phenomenal player,” Johnson said, via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “I thought the world of him. He’s a hard guy to bring down, compact yet powerful. You better have low pad level when you’re looking to tackle this guy or else he’s going to lower his shoulder and run you over. He’s got that mentality, he brought it with him from college. You see it in the first three games of the season so far. He’s fearless, he sees a little bit of air, he steps on the gas, and he plays violently.”
He added that the Bears will attempt to “bottle him up” during a Week 4 matchup with Jeanty and the Raiders.
Chicago was linked to the running back throughout the pre-draft process before Las Vegas ended up selecting him at No. 6 overall, four picks before the Bears were on the clock.
Jeanty was coming off an impressive junior season at Boise State, leading the country with 2,601 rush yards and finishing No. 2 in Heisman Trophy voting.
His individual production to open his rookie year with the Raiders has fallen below expectations, rushing for 144 yards and one touchdown while averaging 3.1 yards per carry.
Still, it’s worth noting that Jeanty has routinely faced multiple defenders in the backfield through his first three games. His 13 broken tackles are the most among running backs this season, while his 93 yards after contact rank No. 12 in the NFL (via Pro Football Reference).
Jeanty is still clearly a threat within Las Vegas’ offense, and Johnson has taken notice.
Kickoff between the Bears and Raiders is on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET.
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