How does Jeanty compare to Kaufman?

Hall of Famer Tim Brown recently compared the two running backs

Recently, Hall of Fame wide receiver and franchise legend Tim Brown said that new Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty reminds him of former Raider Napoleon Kaufman.

“Napoleon came into the league very undersized, but had the ability to return punts and kicks and do a lot of great things, his ability to hit a hole and explode was really amazing,” Brown explained on the Up & Adams show with Kay Adams.

“So I just think if [Jeanty] can do some of the things that Napoleon was doing, [he can be special]. Now [Jeanty] may be asked to do even more because Nap didn’t have to carry the load as much…But I think [Jeanty] is going to be great for the Raiders and I’m looking forward to seeing him play.”

So, let’s dive into it and see how the two backs compare to each other.

College Production

Only Barry Sanders ran for more yards than Jeanty did this past season at Boise State, but college career for college career, the two Raider running backs have comparable production.

The 2024 Heisman Trophy runner-up left Boise State with 4,769 rushing yards, 6.4 yards per carry and 50 rushing touchdowns. Meanwhile, Kaufman finished his Washington career with 4,041 yards, 5.7 ypc and 33 touchdowns.

Granted, the former Bronco was in college for three years while Husky spent four years in school, but Kaufman only had 67 carries as a true freshman, and he only played in four more games than Jeanty, as college football didn’t include bowl game stats until 2002.

Also, Kaufman faced tougher competition every week by playing in the Pac-10 compared to the Mountain West, and it’s important to consider the different eras, as up-tempo offenses have become the norm in the college game.

Size

Brown referenced this in his response above, Jeanty and Kaufman are very comparable size-wise. Both measured 5-foot-8.5 at the NFL Combine, and they have similar arm lengths, with Jeanty coming in at 29¼” and Kaufman 29½”. However, the former has a much thicker build, weighing almost 30 pounds more than the latter: 211 pounds to 182.

To be fair, that’s a consistent trend in the NFL as players as a whole are much bigger than they were 30 years ago when Kaufman was drafted.

Running Styles

Jeanty became known for his ability to make defenders miss this past season, racking up the most missed tackles forced (152) in the country, according to Pro Football Focus. Unfortunately, PFF wasn’t around from 1991 to 1994, when Kaufman was in school, so we don’t have a number from the older back for an easy comparison. But he was known as a shifty runner who could make defenders miss, creating another similarity between the two rushers.

Additionally, Kaufman was a home run hitter for the Silver and Black. From 1996 to 2000, his longest rushes were 77 yards, 83 yards, 80, 75 and 60, respectively, and he created plenty of explosive plays during his tenure in Oakland. A big reason for that is Kaufman clocked a 4.42-second 40-yard dash time. Jeanty didn’t run the 40 during the pre-draft cycle, but NFL Draft Buzz estimated him also clocking a 4.42, and he has plenty of breakaway speed as seen below.

One area in which the incoming rookie has an advantage over the former Raider is in his ability to run with power. While his bread and butter is making defenders miss, he can still lower his shoulder and occasionally run through a defender. But that was never a big part of Kaufman’s game as the Silver and Black always had a bigger back like Harvey Williams and Tyrone Wheatley to take on that responsibility during Kaufman’s tenure.

Receiving Skills

This one is an interesting comparison because Kaufman wasn’t used much as a receiver in college, catching 65 passes during his career and no more than 24 in a single season. As a result, he had just 424 receiving yards and no receiving touchdowns. But in the pros, his role expanded, catching 127 balls for 1,107 yards and five scores in six seasons.

Meanwhile, Jeanty had 80 grabs for 862 yards and six touchdowns in three college seasons, the majority of which came during the 2023 campaign: 43/569/5. However, Kaufman is arguably the better route-runner of the two as he was used on a lot of choice and angle routes out of the backfield, whereas Jeanty’s production primarily came via swing routes and screens. That said, the latter did play some wide receiver in high school, so his route tree could grow in the pros, similar to Kaufman’s trajectory.

Overall, Brown’s comparison of the two first-round picks feels pretty accurate. Kaufman spent six years with the Raiders, racking up just under 4,800 rushing yards, 4.9 ypc and 12 rushing touchdowns in addition to the receiving numbers mentioned above. However, leg injuries and a desire to get into the ministry cut his NFL career short.

Hopefully, Jeanty can stay healthy and have a longer tenure with the Silver and Black, but Kaufman’s legacy isn’t a bad one to live up to for the rookie.