Raiders' Ashton Jeanty Reveals All-Time Favorite NFL Running Back

Tomlinson terrorized the Silver and Black during his nine seasons in San Diego. He was a six-time All-Pro, a five-time Pro Bowler and even won the NFL MVP award in 2006, which landed him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

Peterson was also a legendary player that played 15 NFL seasons, the majority of which were in Minnesota. He has seven All-Pro honors and seven Pro Bowls to his name, and he was the NFL MVP in 2012.

Neither of these players would be a poor choice, but with Peterson standing at 6-foot-1, and Tomlinson sitting at just 5-foot-10, it is easy to understand why the 5-foot-9 Jeanty resonates with one more.

Jeanty had a historic college season at Boise State in 2024, rushing for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns. This earned him a second-place finish in the Heisman Trophy voting and an easy grade as a first-round pick.

He will be relied on heavily by Raiders head coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly as a rookie. Las Vegas also brought in veteran Raheem Mostert this offseason, who led the NFL in rushing touchdowns in 2023, but he is expected to play a complementary role.

The Raiders' first game will be against the New England Patriots, who are a relative unknown considering how much roster turnover they had this offseason. This will be Jeanty's first chance to prove that he belongs in conversations with players like Tomlinson and Peterson.