Sitting at 3-12 and turning the page to the 2025 NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns may just have Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty on their radar.
An injury to running back Nick Chubb in back-to-back seasons, a lackluster run game without him, and the need to take pressure off of the quarterback may just put the Browns in that position. They are currently slotted with the fifth overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, so they very well could be in a position to take Jeanty.
But should they take a running back that high?
Browns land Ashton Jeanty in a new mock draft
In a new mock draft written by our friends at Draft Wire, the Browns taking the Heisman runner-up with their first-round pick. This would instantly put Jeanty as the best running back in the room in Cleveland which would still consist of Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr.
Here is what Draft Wire had to say on the selection:
“The Browns should try and cut ties with quarterback Deshaun Watson but regardless, Jeanty is a gamechanger and the best pick here.”
Some players he was selected in front of include both quarterbacks Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III, and Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter.
Ashton Jeanty is one of the best players in the 2025 NFL draft
According to Daft on Draft, Jeanty is the third-best player in the entire 2025 NFL draft class behind just Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Penn State’s Abdul Carter. This makes him RB1 in the class by a comfortable margin as he has his sights set on Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record this week when Boise State takes on Penn State in the College Football Playoffs quarterfinals.
What makes Jeanty so good? Here is what Daft on Draft had to say:
“Elite vision, elite contact balance, he has both short-area burst and long speed to break the big runs in the open field, and he is a hell of a pass blocker. On the verge of breaking the rushing record set by Barry Sanders… Jeanty is a blue-chip player in this class.”
Jeanty’s potential fit with the Browns
If the Browns were to land him, they would be getting an immediate-impact player in the 2025 NFL draft. No matter what position he plays.
While Nick Chubb could re-sign with the Browns on a shorter-term deal, and even if Ford is starting to find a bit of a groove as the leadback over the past two games, Cleveland cannot turn down playmakers. However, the argument that the Browns are just a running back away is a good one.
They once again have no future at quarterback, Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman are the only wide receivers under contract with at least 15 career catches beyond this season, and the offensive line needs rebuilt.
The Browns have a lot of work to do, but the fun of Jeanty must be considered.
