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The Las Vegas Raiders‘ running game has been off to a rough start this season. The team is averaging 84.0 rushing yards per game, which is third-worst in the NFL.
They haven’t probably replaced All-Pro running back Josh Jacobs as Zamir White has averaged a mere 3.1 yards per carry. It’s no secret that head coach Antonio Pierce likes to run the ball and there may be a running back too good to pass up in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report recently put together a mock draft and projects the Raiders to take Boise State star running back Ashton Jeanty with the No. 8 pick.
“The organization could pull the trigger on a prospect who probably shouldn’t go this high,” Sobleski wrote in an October 11 column. “Or, it can do the smart thing and look at other avenues to make sure it’s not stuck in a spot where it becomes a make-or-break scenario to acquire a young quarterback that may or may not arrive.
“Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty can immediately provide an offensive identity without involving the quarterback position.”
Using the No. 8 pick on a running back seems high but Jeanty appears to be a generational talent who may convince a team he’s worthy of such a high pick.
Ashton Jeanty Is a Special Player
Jeanty might be the most exciting player in college football. In just five games, he already has 1,031 rushing yards in just five games by himself. Through five games this season, the Raiders have 420 rushing yards as a team.
That’s not to mention he’s averaging 10.2 yards per carry and has 16 rushing touchdowns. NFL Hall of Famer Barry Sanders holds the record for most rushing yards in a college football season with 2,628 in 1988 and he averaged 7.6 yards per carry.
Jeanty is already destroying Boise State rushing records and he could challenge Sanders’ record that has stood for nearly 40 years. Bijan Robinson was the No. 8 pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 2023 and his numbers weren’t as impressive as Jeanty’s. If the Broncos star keeps it up, there could be a team out there willing to use a top-10 pick on him.
Jeanty Compared to LaDainian Tomlinson
Running backs aren’t as valuable as they once were but every once in a while, there is one too talented for teams to ignore. Jeanty appears to be that player and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler compares him to one of the best running backs ever.
“I’ll put it this way: If Jeanty were in the 2023 draft class, he would have been up there with Robinson (drafted No. 8 overall) and Jahmyr Gibbs (No. 12). The Boise State back would have been RB1 for some teams and RB3 for others,” Brugler wrote.
“Jeanty started the season as RB1 on my top-50 draft board, and he has only reinforced that through five games in 2024. He is built low to the ground and has a unique ability to force missed tackles with his combination of run balance, play strength and reactionary athleticism. And with his pass-catching ability, I can’t help but see shades of LaDainian Tomlinson, which I don’t say lightly. It also doesn’t hurt that the coaches talk about him like he has a halo under his helmet.”
If teams think Jeanty can be the next Tomlinson, he may be good enough to warrant a top-five draft pick.
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