Apr 25, 2025; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft Ashton Jeanty, speaks to the media at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Insider Surprised By Raiders' Jeanty Pick

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated Apr 28, 2025 3:30 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders wrapped up their first draft class under head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek. It was highlighted by their sixth overall pick, running back Ashton Jeanty out of Boise State.

Jeanty was the best running back in college last season and was also the best running back in the 2025 class. The pick made sense for the Raiders because one of their biggest needs was a running back heading into the draft.

They got a good running back now. Carroll also took Jeanty because he likes his offense running the ball, and it gives veteran quarterback Geno Smith a reliable back. Everyone from the Raiders was on board with the pick.

But Sports Illustrated's NFL Senior Insider Albert Breer was surprised the Raiders took Jeanty was the sixth overall pick.

The Las Vegas Raiders surprised me a bit at pick No. 6.In my mock draft, I had them taking Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr.—a solid prospect at a premium position who was a strong culture fit (we’ll get to the importance of that) for the new Vegas regime, headed by coach Pete Carroll and GM John Spytek, with limited partner Tom Brady lurking in the background as a sort of, for now, tone setter. And they did like Banks quite a bit.

So what was the explanation on taking Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty instead?

Simple. Jeanty was just too good to pass on. Too good as a player. Too good as a person.

That reflected a runner with very, very rare contact balance, which is where comparisons to all-time greats such as LaDainian Tomlinson and Emmitt Smith came into focus. He also brings pass-game value and has a second gear to pull away in the open field, evidenced by the fact that he broke runs of 50-plus yards in nine of the Broncos’ 14 games.

Off the field, over the past few months, Jeanty kept checking boxes. What the Raiders were looking for really was what Brady exemplified in Spytek’s time with him in Tampa, where the two spent time together every Tuesday working on the next week’s opponent—the humble superstar. Having those sorts of people, obsessed with football and dialed in on the team’s mission, was the one early priority Brady has set for the new football bosses in Vegas. All the background work showed Jeanty had it. Then, Spytek got to see it.

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This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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