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Insider Drops Last-Minute Ashton Jeanty-Raiders Intel Before Draft

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Levi Dombro | Last updated Apr 23, 2025 6:10 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders had the worst rushing attack in the NFL last season after letting All-Pro running back Josh Jacobs leave in free agency. Zamir White and Alexander Mattison were simply not up to the task, combining for a league-worst 79.8 rushing yards per game in 2024.

New general manager John Spytek did not exactly remedy this situation in free agency, adding only Raheem Mostert, who is an aging veteran. Luckily, this year's NFL Draft class is full of great running back prospects, and the Raiders have been linked to Boise State's Ashton Jeanty, who is the consensus cream of the crop.

The NFL rumor mill this week has indicated that Jeanty may go earlier than expected in the draft and might not even be available when Las Vegas is on the clock. However, The Athletic's Diana Russini reported that the Raiders are not entirely sold on the Boise State back anyway.

"The Raiders, led by first-time general manager John Spytek, spent substantial time doing homework on Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty," Russini wrote. "But strong cases are being made in their draft room to go offensive line instead."

Raider Nation may be disappointed if the team does not land the Heisman Trophy runner-up, but Las Vegas could benefit from adding another dominant offensive lineman. Missouri's Armand Membou, LSU's Will Campbell, and Texas' Kelvin Banks Jr. are all expected to be in the mix if Jeanty is not the team's selection.

While Thursday night could unfold in any number of ways, there is no shortage of great players near the top of the board. A section of the fan base will be frustrated no matter who the Raiders pick, but fortunately, they almost cannot go wrong.

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

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