Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek on radio row during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Draft guru explains why this player is the 'safest pick' for Raiders in NFL Draft

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Apr 17, 2025 3:04 PM ET

Barring what would be at least somewhat of a surprising development, it appears the Las Vegas Raiders will have an opportunity to make Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty the sixth overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft on the night of April 24.

During a recent chat with Michael Grant of Awful Announcing, ESPN draft guru Matt Miller shared why he views Jeanty as the "safest pick" in this year's player-selection process.

"He is scheme-versatile and fluid," Miller said about Jeanty. "You could play him in any offense. He’s going to be explosive. He has shown his ability as a receiver out in the backfield. And then as a runner, he’s second to none, especially in this year’s class with his vision, contact balance and all the different things he brings to the table."

NFL Media's Lance Zierlein has Jeanty, the consensus top running back in this year's class, ranked as the draft's highest-graded overall prospect. In his final prospect rankings, ESPN's Field Yates listed Jeanty as the draft's fourth-best player.

"No running back in this class comes close to his ability to make defenders miss in the hole, run through tackles, make decisive cuts and affect the passing game," Yates said about Jeanty. "We can debate the merits of taking a back early, but Jeanty is a top-five prospect on talent alone."

The Athletic's Austin Mock is among those who have argued that the Raiders taking Jeanty with pick No. 6 "would be a mistake" because a team coming off a 4-13 season should instead want to use that asset to strengthen a premium position. Nevertheless, an NFC West national scout predicted that the Raiders will take Jeanty in a mock draft produced by Miller that was published on Thursday.

"I seriously considered going wide receiver here because of the needs, but I can't ignore the value of Jeanty," the scout explained. "He might be the best player in the class, and you know exactly what you're getting with him."

As of Thursday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Raiders as the betting favorites at -110 odds to be the team that drafts Jeanty. For what it's worth, Dane Brugler of The Athletic thinks the Jacksonville Jaguars could spoil things for the Raiders by grabbing Jeanty with the fifth pick.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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