Ashton Jeanty has long been connected to the Raiders, and that remains the case as the countdown to the draft continues. It would come as no surprise if the Boise State back wound up beginning his career in Vegas. 
[RELATED: Raiders Add Jeanty In PFR’s Mock Draft]
Many around the league are of the view the Raiders have “fallen in love” with Jeanty during the pre-draft process, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones writes. Vegas is among the teams which have hosted the Heisman runner-up, a sign of interest on the part of Pete Carroll, John Spytek and Co. One AFC executive went as far as telling Jones it is a “foregone conclusion” the Raiders will select Jeanty sixth overall.
Replacing Josh Jacobs proved to be a challenge for Vegas last season. Zamir White – added during the fourth round of the 2022 draft – flashed potential as a starter late in Jacobs’ final Raiders campaign. That was not repeated in 2024, however, as White averaged only 2.8 yards per carry when on the field. He was limited to eight games last season, and a depth role should be in store for 2025, the final year of his rookie pact.
Vegas saw veteran Alexander Mattison depart in free agency, while the team brought in Raheem Mostert. The latter was released by the Dolphins in a move which did not come as much of a surprise. Mostert, 33, handled over 200 carries in 2023 but that figure plummeted to 85 last year. Expectations will be tempered after he signed a one-year deal worth just $1.6MM to join the Raiders.
Jeanty’s production and rushing efficiency improved during each of his three seasons at Boise State, and he amassed 2,739 scrimmage yards to go along with 30 total touchdowns in 2024. The junior handled 750 carries in college, so questions related to his mileage will no doubt be raised. Nevertheless, Jeanty has long been regarded as the top option in a very strong 2025 RB class.
The Cowboys – set to pick 12th overall – have also hosted Jeanty on a pre-draft visit, with the same being true of the Bears (who own pick No. 10). Chicago is seen as being high on the All-American, but it remains to be seen if selecting him will be possible. If the Raiders follow through with their expected decision, the Bears and all other RB-needy teams will turn their attention elsewhere during the draft.
Good
The Seahawks traded down in the first round nearly every single season under Carroll. I’d be surprised if they stood pat to draft a running back in a deep running back class.
Pete Carroll: “Hey, we could trade down and bring Marshawn Lynch in for a workout”.
While
Pete definitely has a seat at the table I feel it’s Spytek that has the final say. MD has typically deferred to his GMs. Just my observation.
I’d say Tom would have the final vote. He’s been given carte blanche.
I just don’t see it. I think TB12 is getting too much one way or another via the media and the fans. He’s a minority owner. A very minor minority owner. Richard Seymour and others are minority owners as well. I feel them (along with TB12) and MD have given Spytek the final say. You hired a guy to do a job. Let him do it.
Now add TB12 to the mix!
I get the TB12 is one of the GOATs of the NFL but evaluating talent is far different than playing. People assume just because you were a great player that all of a sudden you’ll be great at evaluating talent. Spytek has worked his whole NFL career at getting better at evaluating talent. Same as TB12 did at getting better at his craft..QB. I’d value Spytek: Pete’s word more just because they’ve been there and done that. TB12 is a rookie in their world.
True. Most great players aren’t good coaches. But, TB12 knows ball. I’d give him the exception to the rule. Would love to be a fly on the wall in that draft room lol
As a raider fan I hope you’re right because I know Jordan and Jeter both weren’t very good in the same position as TB12 is now. Both were hard workers and knew ball too
I think TB will stay out of it and let his GM and HC do their jobs. I don’t see him as a micro-manager. He comes across as a realistic, down-to-earth guy. TB is needed more so to keep Mark Davis in check with bad football decisions. Carroll loves to run the ball and have a good D, so let’s see how they draft.
Such a Raiders move, holes all over the roster and they want a luxury position. Jeanty could be great but so could a lot of running back if they drafted an OL instead.
This OL class is pretty mediocre though
Dan Moore Jr. and Saquon Barkley got similar new AAVs this offseason. Pretty good offensive linemen are worth more than great running backs.
Citing that terrible contract from the Titans only shows that some people are willing to overpay for a player.
Ok. 14 guards—just guards, no tackles—make more per year than the third highest paid running back. If you take a running back at six overall, he’s immediately one of the top 14 paid running backs in AAV. And part of why Moore got so much money is that really good offensive linemen don’t hit free agency or even the trade market all that often unless they’re old or have serious injury histories.
Many RBs aren’t great without a great OL in front of them.
It’s even worse than drafting high for RB in a normal draft. This draft class is deep. You can get Judkins in the 3rd round and he can be a pro bowler. If they want that position then draft Henderson with a high 2nd instead.
Judkins might not even be available in the second.
Judkins is an absolute beast. I watched him destroy people for two years at Ole Miss with a bad O line. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s the best back to come out of the draft.
Pete has said he’s confident in the current OL. I’m
Not saying they are top 15 but I think last year had more to do with scheme than talent. Getsy was down right terrible. Bears fans warned us.
Jeanty is the best choice, in my mind. This OL class doesn’t have a surefire difference maker worth taking at 6
I agree. Maybe I’m still suffering from the leatherwood pick. I’m
Not big on any OL in the first round.
Leatherwood was a disaster. They never should have taken him that high. That’s a great example of why you don’t force O-line picks just because you could use O-Line help. Could always draft one in the 2nd or 3rd round.
That’s a great point. Never looked at it like that. Raiders forced that leatherwood pick. Pete seems
Happy with the O-line. So we shall see.
Pete likes a good D and running the ball. OL be damned with him. I’d bet they take D 1st round.
But Leatherwood was a huge reach. He was 45 on the consensus big board that year.
If you look at the best offensive lines in football, you usually see premium draft picks have been used at least a couple times in building them.
It’s a memory that seemingly never goes away. Gruden and the rest of the staff hugging and high-fiving like drafting Leatherwood at #17 was the steal of a lifetime.
I guess I should consider myself fortunate that Gruden didn’t feel the need to trade up into the top-10 for this “find”.
Sounds like Patriots trying to drum a trade for their pick at 4 from Bears
Beyond a reach.
Taking an RB at a top 6 pick would definitely be dumb, and the Raiders do dumb a lot.
Explain WHY that would be dumb.
Passing on one of the 6 best players because he’s a RB would be a bonehead move, imo. Take Jeanty, don’t overthink it.
I think Jeanty is worth it, but the issue is they need a QB.
Of course, THEY don’t think they need one, but they do.
By almost every analytic metric and the film, strongly suggest geno is a top 10 qb. They do not need to overdraft a mediocre qb at 6, that’s how people lose jobs.
What metrics? He was mediocre last year with much better weapons.
Different system this year. Run the ball and play good D. Geno just needs to be a game manager.
Steezy – You must be Geno Smith if you think Geno Smith is a top 10 QB.
Geno Smith is a top 10 QB according to stats so we have a QB.
With some good offensive tools around him like Jeanty he can be a good qb.
He’s not a bad QB. He certainly deserves a starting job in the NFL and he can take an otherwise pretty talented team to the playoffs. But he’s not top 10.
Better pray the oline drastically improves then. Great Rbs behind bad offensive lines play awful (‘23 Jacobs, Henry, Saquan) and great rbs behind good offensive lines take over games (‘24 Jacobs, Henry, Saquan).
You actually make an argument why Jeanty is the best pick, regardless of if the O-line underperforms or not by pointing out Jacobs’ seasons in ’23 and ’24. They’ll have Jeanty for five years, and he appears to be a better back than Jacobs; if this year he doesn’t breakout, it’s not the worst thing ever.
The thing with Saqoun was the Giants failed to give him help for *five* seasons. That’s not a failed pick, it’s a FO failure with putting talent around him. Spytek should do a better job.
You’re not wrong at all, and I hope they’re committed to that if they pick him. Carroll has been notorious for having awful o lines lately so hopefully it gets correct. It’s just playing with fire is all I’m saying.
He better outperform Jacobs if he’s taken at #6 overall. Jacobs was taken #24 overall. Big difference in draft value.
In other news… water is wet….
Jeanty is head and shoulders above any other RB is this draft. Having him for 5 years at a premium position is perfect.
You all are really overrating him.
Agreed, if Judkins could run for 1,500 yards as a freshmen in the sec I’m pretty sure he could’ve ran for 10,000 against the mwc
If so, everyone is overrating him. Every single draft guru I’ve listened to considers him head and shoulders above any other RB in the draft.
My suggestion would be to trade back a few picks, if they want Jeanty. I don’t expect him to go any higher than maybe #10. Even if someone nabs him, there are a lot of similarly valued players around there.
Raiders ordering dessert when they need meat and potatoes.
Just imvho, the meat and potatoes will be gone at #6. The last star prospect will be Graham. After that, everyone else looks like a #10.
Ask the Giants how it worked for them selecting an RB early with holes in the roster.
I don’t understand why people argue against this because the Giants’ front office were bad at their jobs. If the Giants had taken Chubb instead, since no one really had Josh Allen in the conversation for being selected in that range, and nothing suggests the Giants could’ve identified his talent; it’d have been the same story because the front office was bad at identifying other building blocks. Just because a player plays RB doesn’t mean they aren’t worth a first round pick.
Sam Darnoldxwas ranked higher than Allen in that draft and who knows if they gone with him. He didn’t really produce until last year ad jury still out that will continue. Barkley was a game changer. Well worth the pick. He had great first two years than the injury bug.
Good to see seems like he has shook injuries off and recovered.
Josh Allen was #3 on the consensus big board rating immediately before the draft. That consensus took into account 38 different big boards and 193 different first round mock drafts. FWIW, Darnold was #1 and Baker Mayfield was #4. Saquon was #2.
Saquon was literally the best back in the league as a rookie. It was far from a bad pick.
They may need to come up for him. I think the Patriots interest is real knowing they can get an OT in round 2. I’m a Patriots fan and hope they do come up. He’s used a lot of tread from those tires. He had 400 touches last year. We all understand there a shelf life on the RB position and his clock started ticking already.
@mikedickinson. Wouldn’t surprise me if patriots get Campbell. Most of the tackle prospects are projected to be guards. They can do that and get decent running backs and defensive tackles, because it’s deep.
Oh, I 100% think Campbell is going to be the guy, as unsexy as it may be. But, I think that they think they can get Campbell lower and get an extra pick if they use Jenty as a smokescreen.
@mikedickinson. Yeah can see them doing something like the chargers did last year. Especially because the tackle position is weak. I’ve been hearing that teams will stick and pick, but also it’s loaded with top 10 talent after that it’s pretty even til 60.
The Raiders are not going to tell everyone that they love Jeanty unless they actually are hoping for a little trade back with a Jeanty-loving team. Right? No team (except for the no. 1) is going to telegraph their specific intentions.