Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek on radio row during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Raiders' New Addition Already Has Significant Value

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Ezekiel Trezevant | Last updated Aug 1, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders having an extremely valuable player on their roster is no surprise. However, a player potentially being worth multiple draft picks before ever playing a down is.

Bill Barnwell of ESPN recently predicted how much each team in the National Football League could get if they hypothetically were to trade some of their best players.

He believes the Raiders could get at least a first-round pick, if not more, for rookie running back Ashton Jeanty.

"Being the top running back selected in a deep class hasn't always yielded top-of-the-class results, but it's clear many teams saw Jeanty as a cut above the rest of the backs in the 2025 draft. ESPN's Field Yates had Jeanty as the fourth-best player overall in the class, while the next-best back was Omarion Hampton, who came in at 26th," Barnwell said.

"There are organizations that wouldn't want to use a first-round pick on a running back for fear of incurring an opportunity cost and missing out on a position that's more difficult to fill. And there are enough, especially after what we saw last season with Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry, that would have been happy to send a first-round pick and more to the Raiders to move up for Jeanty in April."

Following training camp, Raiders offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson explained how well Jeanty has done so far in camp. Everyone continues to rave about the rookie running back's potential. He appears to be just what the Raiders needed at the running back position.

"Runs hard. Runs hard and he doesn't make a lot of mistakes, and when he does, he learns from them, and that's all you can ask from a rookie. I mean, learn from your mistakes, and he's doing everything that he can to be great. You see it, and you hear it, and you feel it. So he's doing great," Powers-Johnson said.

In training camp, Jeanty has looked as advertised. He is quick on his feet, can make cuts that few other running backs can make, and is a home run threat even on the professional level. Jeanty proved his potential in college, but has shown even more in training camp.

While he would fetch plenty in a hypothetical trade, his actual value to the Raiders is immeasurable. His training camp performances give reason to expect the Raiders will make a significant jump from the worst rushing team in the league.

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This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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