The Las Vegas Raiders didn’t need to take a gamble with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft because they had a sure bet with the selection of Ashton Jeanty.
After dominating college football in 2024, Jeanty enters the NFL with high expectations. In leading the NCAA with 2,601 rushing yards which included 29 rushing touchdowns, the former Boise State star brings to the Raiders a player with a dynamic ability to score whenever he touches the ball.
A big play waiting to happen, the Raiders’ offense is going to be a must-watch with Jeanty in the backfield and tight end Brock Bowers lining up in multiple formations. Can this exciting offensive duo help turn the Raiders into an AFC West contender.
While the competitiveness of the Raiders will depend on the quarterback play of Geno Smith and how the team has improved on defense, Jeanty’s impact will have a big say. With a strong training camp, the Raiders rookie running back did show some things in preseason rushing for 37 yards on 12 carries with a touchdown, but that was just a very small taste of what he will do in the 2025 NFL season.
Living up to the hype
Although Jeanty will be one of the more exciting rookies to watch in 2025, don’t expect him to be the workhorse he was at Boise State which could make him more dangerous. After getting his first glimpse of Jeanty in the spring, Raiders new head coach Pete Carroll saw a player living up to every bit of the hype.
"Ashton looks every bit what we had hoped he would look like," Carroll said. "He caught the ball really well, he understood stuff, took everything really seriously, gave terrific effort throughout. And we made a big deal to him -- everybody's watching you, you know -- and he embraced the thought of it. So, it's going to be exciting to see what happens."
Jeanty has a signature explosive game vs AFC West foe
It won’t take long for Ashton Jeanty to make noise in the NFL. He will have a solid performance in Week 1 against the New England Patriots, but in the Week 2 home opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, look for Jeanty to not only have his first 100-yard rushing game, but gain 200 yards from scrimmage in what will be an early season shootout in the AFC West.
Notice the prediction is yards from scrimmage. Jeanty will run for over 125 yards, but some of that 200 yards will come in the passing game as he’ll break a long one on a screen pass. The performance will further the hype in Vegas as it should.