Debate the value of running backs all you wish, but few picks in the NFL Draft will generate more excitement than Ashton Jeanty.
Jeanty is going to sell a lot of jerseys, be the centerpiece of many fantasy football teams and generally be an exhilarating player to watch for Las Vegas Raiders fans for years to come. The Raiders ignored other needs and took Jeanty with the sixth overall pick of the draft. NFL Network said the Raiders turned in the card for Jeanty in only about three minutes into their time allotment. He'll pair with tight end Brock Bowers, who is coming off a historic rookie season, for an exciting young offensive nucleus.
This year's running back class was deep, but Jeanty stood out. He's not a typical first-round running back prospect. He's one of the best prospects at the position in many years. The Raiders could have gone many different directions, but Jeanty's talent was tough to overlook.
Ashton Jeanty a rare RB prospect
Barry Sanders is considered my many the greatest running back ever, and he had perhaps the greatest single college football season ever. Jeanty was just 28 yards short of beating Sanders' FBS record for rushing yards in a season. That's how good he was last season.
Jeanty rushed for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns for a Boise State team that made the College Football Playoff. Jeanty averaged 7 yards per carry. He finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting to Travis Hunter, who had a historic season playing offense and defense for Colorado.
Jeanty's season was historic as well. If there is any knock on Jeanty it's that he put up great numbers in the Mountain West and not a bigger conference, and that criticism gained steam when he got 104 yards on 30 carries (a season-low 3.5-yard average) against Penn State in the Broncos' playoff loss to Penn State. But Jeanty did put up 192 yards and three touchdowns against Oregon, another playoff team, early in the season.
There have been plenty of productive college football backs outside of the biggest conferences, but few got acclaim from scouts like Jeanty did. He has great balance and a fantastic ability to break tackles. His athleticism is apparent on many of his long runs.
Throughout the pre-draft process, it was rare to find a respected voice that didn't think Jeanty was a special back.
Jeanty should have an impact immediately
Jeanty wasn't compared often to the rest of the running back class. He was the unquestioned No. 1 back in every reputable ranking. He was compared to Saquon Barkley, Leonard Fournette, Bijan Robinson and a few other truly elite prospects at the position over the last couple decades. There was a reason he was a premium draft pick even though the NFL has mostly devalued running backs.
The issue with teams in the top 10 was going to be how high Jeanty should go. He was undisputedly among the best players in the draft. But players on a similar tier at higher priority positions were bound to be picked before Jeanty. It was just a matter of figuring out which team would be willing to take a running back early in the first round. As the draft approached, there was more and more buzz that Jeanty could end up as a top-five pick.
Jeanty could be a factor right away. Though he wasn't a prolific receiver in college, he could add that to his game and he is a proven workhorse back after getting 374 carries in 14 games last season. Jeanty is clearly one of the favorites to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
The Jeanty pick will be debated, especially if it doesn't work out for the Raiders. But it was a pretty fun one.
