Raiders Elevate Roman Hemby and Deven Thompkins With Ashton Jeanty Questionable for Patriots

HENDERSON, Nev.

The Raiders are packing extra help for the cross-country flight. On Saturday, Las Vegas elevated running back Roman Hemby and wide receiver Deven Thompkins from the practice squad for Sunday's Week 5 matchup at the New England Patriots — a pair of moves that tell you exactly where the roster is hurting, and how real the doubt is around rookie star Ashton Jeanty.

Jeanty is officially listed as questionable with ankle and foot injuries, and his week told the story in reverse. He was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, was downgraded to limited on Thursday after a foot issue was added to his existing ankle problem, and did not practice Friday, according to multiple reports. Saturday's elevation of Hemby doesn't automatically rule Jeanty out — teams routinely carry insurance — but it signals the Raiders are preparing for a Sunday without their usual workload from the backfield.

What the elevations mean

Hemby is the more telling of the two call-ups. The undrafted rookie out of Indiana would be making his first appearance for the Raiders if Jeanty is inactive, and his path here is a good story on its own: after four years at Maryland, Hemby broke out with the Hoosiers in 2025, running for 1,120 yards over 16 games on the way to a national championship alongside fellow Raider Fernando Mendoza at quarterback, per Athlon Sports. He signed with Las Vegas as an undrafted free agent this offseason, according to Raiders Wire.

If Jeanty can't go, rookie Mike Washington Jr. is expected to assume the lead running back role, with Dylan Laube providing backup duty and Hemby in the mix, per reports. That's a young, untested backfield for a team that has already been struggling to run the ball: Las Vegas ranks dead last in the NFL in yards per carry, and Jeanty himself is averaging just 3.4 yards per attempt this season after 3.7 last year, per Athlon Sports. USA Today's game picks note the Raiders rank 29th in rush EPA and 30th in rush success rate — which means, as SI's preview put it, the offense has to move through Kirk Cousins' arm.

Kubiak isn't blaming the ankle

Head coach Klint Kubiak isn't buying the idea that Jeanty's injuries have been the problem. Asked this week whether the ankle was limiting the rookie, Kubiak said, "I don't," adding that Jeanty has "been doing a great job" and that he's "a leader on our team," per Athlon Sports. "I couldn't be more happy with Ashton. We got to keep getting him and the entire offense playing better every week. But no, I don't think so."

Still, the tape and the timeline say the injuries are real. Jeanty appeared to aggravate the ankle against Kansas City last week while adding the foot issue, per Raiders Wire, and managed just 58 rushing yards in the 30-27 loss. Through four games he has 264 rushing yards, 165 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns, per reports — productive, but below the standard of a back drafted to carry a franchise.

A paper-thin receiver room

The Thompkins elevation addresses a different emergency. Jalen Nailor is out with a concussion, and the Raiders are down to five active wide receivers for Sunday: Tre Tucker, Cody White, Dareke Young, Malik Benson and Thompkins, per Heavy. Thompkins is a veteran receiver and return specialist who spent camp with the team, according to Raiders Wire — exactly the kind of plug-and-play depth a team needs when the room thins out midseason.

The offensive line is also nicked up: guard Trey Zuhn III is out with a knee injury, per SportsJaw's preview. For a team that wants to throw its way to Foxborough with Cousins — 365 yards, two touchdowns and an interception against Kansas City last week, with Brock Bowers (6 catches, 86 yards, 1 TD) leading the production, per USA Today's Sportsbook Wire — the protection and the depth both matter.

The matchup: 3-1 vs. 2-2, and a banged-up Patriots secondary

The records say the Raiders are the better team. Las Vegas is 3-1 after last week's 30-27 loss to Kansas City ended its perfect start; New England is 2-2 but coming off a statement 29-26 win in Buffalo that has the oddsmakers' attention. The Patriots are 3.5-point home favorites with a 45-point total, per multiple books, and the moneyline sits around Patriots -190, Raiders +160.

Here's the twist that keeps this interesting: New England's secondary is decimated. Starting cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III are both ruled out, along with two backups, and running back Rhamondre Stevenson is questionable after limited practices, per reports. The Raiders' strength is their passing game — 28.8 points per game (eighth in the NFL) and 250 passing yards per game (ninth), per SportsJaw — and they'll be throwing at a Patriots secondary held together with tape.

Drake Maye is the variable on the other side. The Patriots quarterback threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns with an interception against Buffalo while leading the team with 54 rushing yards, per USA Today, and receiver Romeo Doubs hauled in six catches for 58 yards and two scores. But Maye has thrown seven interceptions through four weeks, per SI — and the Raiders are 4-0 against the spread this season, per Covers, including covering as 3.5-point home underdogs against the Chiefs last week.

What to watch Sunday

First, the inactives list, 90 minutes before kickoff: Jeanty's status decides whether this is a normal game plan or a committee backfield of Washington, Laube and Hemby. Second, the Patriots' patchwork secondary — if Cousins and Bowers can exploit the missing starters early, the line starts to look generous to the home team. Third, the grudge factor: Las Vegas beat Mike Vrabel in his first game as Patriots head coach last season, per USA Today's game picks, and Vrabel's teams tend to remember.

One more note from the week that was: rookie safety Treydan Stukes was not fined for the tackle that dislocated Chiefs receiver Tyquan Thornton's ankle in last Sunday's game, per NFL insider Mike Garafolo via Heavy — the league office ruled it an unfortunate football play, not a hip-drop. Stukes stays in the lineup for a secondary that will need every body against Maye.

More Vegas sports: the NFL playoff picture after four weeks has the Raiders in the thick of the AFC race, and the Chiefs game is still generating noise. Sunday at 10 a.m. PT, we find out what the backfield looks like.

More from the newsroom: the battle of unbeatens with Kansas City · the Stukes tackle ruling · the NFL playoff picture after four weeks