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Raiders Warned Against Drafting Ashton Jeanty

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Austin C. Boyd | Last updated Apr 10, 2025 12:10 PM ET

With the 2025 NFL Draft closing in, the Las Vegas Raiders continue to be the top team linked to Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. It's rare for running backs to be taken in the top six but Jeanty is also one of two running backs in college football history to rush for over 2,600 yards in a season.

The only other is Hall of Famer Barry Sanders. The Raiders had the worst rushing offense in the NFL last season and have a major need at running back. Jeanty would immediately give the team a massive upgrade.

However, not everybody is on board with the idea. The Athletic's Austin Mock detailed why drafting Jeanty would be a mistake.

"To be clear, I’m not suggesting Jeanty won’t be a good NFL running back," Mock wrote. "I think he could be great. But if you’re a team looking to pick him in the top 10, you’d better believe the rest of your roster is set if you want to see the payoff.

"And that brings me back to Barkley, who is actually the perfect example of why picking a running back in the top 10 is a bad idea. Barkley spent six long seasons languishing with the New York Giants, who drafted him with the No. 2 pick in 2018. They won just one playoff game with Barkley — in his fifth season when he was playing on his fifth-year option — before he rose to Super Bowl prominence in Philadelphia."

The Raiders do have many needs all over the roster and a running back is a luxury pick. In a deep running back class, Las Vegas could wait until the second round and likely find a starter.

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

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