The 2024 NFL draft was a low point for running back prospects, with the first running back not going off the board until the 14th selection of the second round (Jonathon Brooks), the position's worst top draft position since 2014. Since Saquon Barkley in 2018, no running back has been selected inside the top five. Only Bijan Robinson (No. 8) has gone inside the top 10 since Barkley.
Boise State star Ashton Jeanty looks poised to reset the narrative and enter the league as the best can't-miss running back since the now Super Bowl-winning Barkley. A tantalizing prospect with an incredible mix of power and agility, Jeanty is expected to immediately impact whatever team ends up drafting him.
But, where will he be selected? And how many teams might even have an opportunity to take him before he's off the board? Here's where the experts are projecting Jeanty to go in late April at the NFL Draft in Green Bay.
Daniel Flick, onSI
Projected Draft Position: Round 1, Pick 6, Las Vegas Raiders
"If the Raiders are truly committed to Geno Smith at quarterback, they’ll need to give him a better supporting cast," Flick wrote. "Las Vegas finished last in the NFL in rushing yards last season, and free-agent signing Raheem Mostert alone won’t be enough to change that. Jeanty is a special prospect with elite contact balance who rarely goes down on first contact."
Mel Kiper, ESPN
Projected Draft Position: Round 1, Pick 6, Las Vegas Raiders
"Elusiveness. Speed. Physicality. Vision with the ball in his hands. Jeanty really has it all, rushing for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns last season," Kiper penned in his most recent insider-only mock draft. "Plus, he has some pass-catching upside, with 66 catches over the past two campaigns. The Raiders were last in rushing last season, averaging 3.6 yards per carry and 79.8 per game. Jeanty would change everything there and create a solid offensive nucleus with Smith, Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers."
Charles Davis, NFL.com
Projected Draft Position: Round 1, Pick 6, Las Vegas Raiders
"This pick almost feels like chalk. The best running back in the draft lands on a team led by Pete "run it and let's play great defense" Carroll?! Perhaps the Raiders’ new head coach envisions a Marshawn Lynch type of impact when he watches Jeanty's tape," Davis said of Jeanty's possible new home in Vegas.
Josh Liskiewitz, Pro Football Focus
Projected Draft Position: Round 1, Pick 10, Chicago Bears
"Jeanty is a total-package backfield playmaker with impressive balance, footwork, vision, explosiveness and big-play ability—reminiscent of Alvin Kamara," Liskiewitz compared. "He is a first-round offensive weapon who can succeed behind any blocking scheme."
Diante Lee, The Ringer
Projected Draft Position: Round 1, Pick 20, Denver Broncos
"I think Ashton Jeanty is in play as a potential selection as early as pick no. 10, but he adds the most immediate value to last season’s fringe playoff teams. Jeanty’s contact balance is rare, even among the better running backs in the league. He has patience, great feet, and the vision to sift through tight windows between the tackles. There are some questions about his top-end speed, but he’s an explosive runner and I don’t imagine he’ll have any problem breaking off big runs in the pros just like he did in college. Head coach Sean Payton said he was looking for versatility at the tight end and running back positions, but with the Broncos already adding veteran tight end Evan Engram in free agency, Denver has the freedom to take a player who is too good to pass up here."
Lee's colleague, Danny Kelly, also had Jeanty going to Denver at No. 20 as well. Both mocks were released before Jeanty's recent Boise State pro day.
Kyle Stackpole, CBS Sports
Projected Draft Position: Round 1, Pick 6, Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders have their new quarterback in Geno Smith, and now they have perhaps the most dynamic offensive player in the class in Ashton Jeanty," Stackpole said of the possible pick.
Tyler Dragon, USA Today
Projected Draft Position: Round 1, Pick 6, Las Vegas Raiders
"The Raiders averaged an NFL-low 79.8 rushing yards per game in 2024. It was the lowest rushing average by a team in a single season since 2022. Pete Carroll’s teams in Seattle routinely had stout rushing attacks. Jeanty and Brock Bowers are foundation pieces on offense," Dragon said.
Mike Tannembaum, ESPN
Projected Draft Position: Round 1, Pick 6, Las Vegas Raiders
"After their recent acquisition of Geno Smith, the Raiders are unlikely to take a quarterback, especially with holes in the offense around Smith," ESPN writer and former NFL executive Mike Tannenbaum predicted. "The Raiders could use another receiver, some offensive line reinforcements and a dynamic running back. I'm going with the last option. Landing Jeanty would set the tempo for Las Vegas under Pete Carroll. Jeanty doesn't have the physicality of Marshawn Lynch (who starred under Carroll in Seattle), but he has the skills to be more impactful as an overall NFL player."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as What NFL Draft Experts Are Saying About Ashton Jeanty's Most Likely Destination.
