Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ashton Jeanty is already nipping at Saquon Barkley's heels in key category thanks to major NFL rule

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Justin Churchill | Last updated May 9, 2025 2:56 PM ET

On Thursday, the Las Vegas Raiders geared up for rookie minicamp, which started Friday. But before rookie minicamp, they tried to sign all of their rookies from the 2025 NFL Draft Class. And, they got most of them done, outside of Jack Bech and Darien Porter, their two-day two picks.

But the biggest signing of them all was without a doubt, sixth-overall pick Ashton Jeanty, who, I must say, got paid a pretty penny. Jeanty should definitely be thanking the NFL for the rule that first-rounders get fully guarenteed money.

Jeanty signed a fully guaranteed four-year $35,895,812 rookie contract with a $22,746,044 signing bonus. It's fair to say he just got some life-changing money, and he hasn't even played a snap yet. Now he has to prove he's worth it, and I think he will be pretty motivated to do so. When he was drafted, he was asked about how the RB position is viewed in the NFL, and what it means to him to play a position that is undervalued, and Jeanty had the best reaction.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Raiders Legacy (@raiderslegacy)

"I'm very proud of that," Jeanty told reporters via Zoom. "I'm just thankful for this opportunity. And I'm going to show everybody the position is valuable, and it is great to take an exceptional running back in the first round."

And, he has definitely started a trend, or his agents and the Raiders have, you could say. This deal he just got, as a rookie, puts him near the top when it comes to running back money. According to Over the Cap, Jeanty is now the 11th highest-paid APY running back in the league, with Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley leading the charge. But of course, every guy above Jeanty has been in the league for some time now.

Now, it doesn't matter as much because first-rounders are fully guaranteed, but Jeanty has the second-most guaranteed money in the league of all running backs behind Barkley, who has less than a million more guaranteed money.

The Raiders obviously have a ton of faith in Jeanty, even as a rookie. If all goes well with Jeanty over the next few years, we could really see him as the guy who resets the market, considering what he's being paid on his rookie deal.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: