Sep 15, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Las Vegas Raiders offensive tackle Kolton Miller (74) before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Raiders' Ashton Jeanty Should Elevate UCLA's Kolton Miller

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI | By Brock Vierra | Last updated Apr 25, 2025 10:57 AM ET

Offensive linemen get paid to pass protect; they'll run block for free. The attitude of offensive linemen is simple: "Let me put my hands on somebody and drive them from their spot, against their will."

Things can change on a dime in the NFL. UCLA's Kolton Miller went from being on one of the worst rosters in football to gaining a solid NFL quarterback in Geno Smith and what could be one of the best running backs in NFL history in Ashton Jeanty in a matter of months.

Jeanty, a Heisman finalist and statistical machine, was drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders with the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

CBS Sports' Dave Richards compared Jeanty to Steven Jackson, a multi-time Pro Bowler for the then St. Louis Rams.

"Of course Jeanty will draw comparisons to former Boise State running back Jay Ajayi because they're both stocky with braids, but Jeanty is much more physically dominant than Ajayi," Richards wrote. "If anything, Jeanty is a more compact version of Steven Jackson, the Rams bruiser who had an eight-year run of over 1,000 rushing yards and 1,270 total yards per year.

"Jackson was awesome as a receiver -- and time will show that Jeanty is as well. He caught more than 40 passes as a junior and was a former high school receiver, so it's entirely realistic to see Jeanty become a capable pass-catcher in an NFL offense like Jackson. But moreover, Jeanty should quickly become the engine of a pro offense like Jackson was with the Rams -- hopefully with better touchdown fortune."

Jackson had eight straight seasons with over 1,000 yards during an era when defenses were built to stop the run. The Rams also did not have consistent quarterback play during that time as Marc Bulger started to hit his career's decline, as well as a lack of return on investment from first overall pick Sam Bradford.

If Jeanty is able to emulate that level of production, he'll be a Hall of Famer.

Kolton Miller benefits because edge players can no longer pin their ears back and rush the passer. Raiders head coach Pete Carrol has dedicated himself along with former UCLA head coach and Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly to running the football in the same way Carroll did with Marshawn Lynch in Seattle.

Expect Miller's second half of his career to outshine his first half. The Raiders could be entering a new era with UCLA.