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Ashton Jeanty's NFL Draft Projection Revealed After Official Announcement

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nathan Dougherty | Last updated Jan 7, 2025 5:37 PM ET

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty is done with his record-setting collegiate career -- and could now be headed to the first round of the NFL draft.

Jeanty announced on Tuesday that he was leaving Boise State and declaring for the 2025 NFL draft, saying he hopes to represent his school well.

"The opportunity to play in the NFL is a dream of mine, and I'm proud to represent Boise State and all of those who have helped me along the way at the next level," Jeanty wrote in a post on X announcing his NFL draft decision.

Jeanty's collegiate career came to an end in the opening round of the College Football Playoff, with Boise State falling to Penn State.

While Jeanty will be entering an NFL where running backs have lost value as teams adopt more pass-heavy offenses, David Cobb of CBS Sports reported that he is considered the top back in the draft and a likely mid to high first-round pick. The CBS Sports draft rankings put Jeanty as No. 1 in his position and the No. 13 overall prospect in this year's draft.

Bronco 4L #deuce pic.twitter.com/gtrKJUcDOd
— Deuce 2️⃣ (@AshtonJeanty2) January 7, 2025

Other analysts agree with the projection. A mock NFL draft from Pro Football Focus predicted he would join the Dallas Cowboys with the No. 13 overall pick, exactly in line with the CBS Sports rankings.

"But beyond just the overall output, he was also incredibly efficient, with a 96.6 PFF rushing grade, a 99th-percentile missed tackles forced per attempt figure and a 98th-percentile yards after contact number," the PFF mock draft noted. "He is one of the best football players in the draft, and Dallas needs a player like that badly on its offense."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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