Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty is generating significant buzz as a top prospect in what analysts describe as a weak running back class for the upcoming NFL draft.
Jeanty rushed for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns while averaging 7.0 yards per carry in 2024. Many draft experts project him as a potential top-15 selection, with some comparing him to Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson, who set the NFL single-season record with 28 rushing touchdowns in 2006.
The Las Vegas Raiders finished last in rushing last season after Josh Jacobs departed for Green Bay.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has the Raiders selecting Jeanty with the No. 6 overall pick in his latest mock draft released Tuesday.
“Carroll obviously has history with Smith from their time together in Seattle and knows how to maximize him,” Kiper wrote (h/t Raiders Wire). “But Carroll’s teams also have leaned heavily on the run in the past, so I’m giving the Raiders the best player still on my board in Jeanty (No. 4).
“Elusiveness. Speed. Physicality. Vision with the ball in his hands. Jeanty really has it all, rushing for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns last season. Plus, he has some pass-catching upside, with 66 catches over the past two campaigns. The Raiders were last in rushing last season, averaging 3.6 yards per carry and 79.8 per game. Jeanty would change everything there and create a solid offensive nucleus with Smith, Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers.”
The 21-year-old Jeanty caught just 23 passes for 138 yards and one touchdown in 2024. However, he showed receiving potential in 2023 with 43 receptions, 569 yards and five touchdowns.
NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah also projects Jeanty to Las Vegas at No. 6.
“The Raiders can take some pressure off of Geno Smith by adding Jeanty, who is one of the top three players in the draft,” Jeremiah wrote.
The Raiders have made the playoffs just twice since their Super Bowl XXXVII appearance against Tampa Bay over 20 years ago.
New head coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly are working to rebuild an offense that already features tight end Brock Bowers, receiver Jakobi Meyers, and recently acquired quarterback Geno Smith.
