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Geno Smith's One-Word Message After Raiders Drafted Ashton Jeanty

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nate Lunak | Last updated Apr 24, 2025 9:08 PM ET

Going into the 2025 NFL Draft, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty established himself as one of the most sought-after players, with Pro Football Focus' big board ranking him as the No. 3 player overall.

That's not much of a surprise, though, after an extremely impressive season where he earned All-America honors after rushing the ball 374 times for 2,601 yards (second-most in FBS history) and 29 touchdowns.

In the end, it would be the Las Vegas Raiders who ended up with Jeanty, selecting him with at the No. 6 pick, with quarterback Geno Smith quickly reacting to the decision, saying "RAIDERRRRRSSSSS," via a social media post

RAIDERRRRRSSSSS
— Geno (@GenoSmith3) April 25, 2025

Of course, Smith, who will be with the Raiders through the 2027 season as a part of his two-year, $75 million contract, which kicks in next season and will have the opportunity to transform the Raiders offense with Jeanty.

In 2024, the team was especially weak when running the ball, ranking 32nd in rushing yards per game (79.8), 32nd in rushing yards per carry (3.6) and 28th in rushing touchdowns (10).

Jeanty can come in and immediately replace the Raiders' leading rusher last season, Alexander Mattison, who had accumulated just 420 yards and four touchdowns on 132 carries, but is now with the Miami Dolphins.

Between adding both Smith and Jeanty, there is hope that the Raiders can see a full offensive turnaround after averaging just 304.2 total yards per game (27th in the NFL) and 18.2 points per game (tied for 28th in the NFL) in 2024.

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

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