HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders selected Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 pick in the NFL draft Thursday night, their first pick under coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek.
Jeanty figured early that Las Vegas would be his destination. Last month, Spytek jokingly said on SiriusXM Radio that his oldest son, Jack, would leave the family if the team didn’t take Jeanty.
“Once I [saw] that come out on social media, I’m like, ‘Man, there’s no way they’re not going to pick me at No. 6 if I’m there,'” Jeanty said.
Said Spytek at the end of the first round: “I’m happy that I still have both of my sons in my house and expect them to move to Vegas this summer.”
By drafting Jeanty, Spytek said Las Vegas has a strong foundation in place on offense with tight end Brock Bowers, wide receiver Jakobi Meyers and new quarterback Geno Smith.
In 2024, Bowers and Meyers each recorded more than 1,000 receiving yards. Smith, a two-time Pro Bowler, broke the Seattle Seahawks’ record for passing yards and completion rate in his final season with the franchise.
The Raiders traded for Smith and later signed him to a two-year extension.
“We’ve gotten harder to defend,” Spytek said.
Jeanty, regarded as one of the top players in this draft class, had a historic 2024 season at Boise State. The Texas native was the Heisman Trophy runner-up after finishing with 2,601 rushing yards — second most in a season in FBS history, trailing only Barry Sanders in 1988. Jeanty also had 29 touchdowns and six games with at least 200 yards.
Jeanty followed a remarkable college season by becoming the first running back selected within the first six picks of a draft since 2018, when the Giants drafted Saquon Barkley with the second overall pick.
“I’m very proud of that,” Jeanty said. “… I’m going to show everybody the position is valuable and it is great to take an exceptional running back in the first round.”
This year’s draft class is deep at running back, but that didn’t influence the Raiders’ plans. Spytek and Carroll said they believed Jeanty was the type of player who warranted a top-10 pick.
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For the Raiders, the addition of Jeanty was a combination of addressing a major need and getting the best player available.
“There’s also no guarantee that if you pass on Ashton, any of those guys that you really like in the next round are going to be there,” Spytek said.
Carroll called Jeanty a “dynamic player” who has the ability to run with power and find space to make plays.
Jeanty, who was a two-year starter for the Broncos, was one of the nation’s hardest players to tackle. He had 1,733 yards after contact — 590 more than any other FBS player in 2024 — and his 4.6 yards after contact per attempt led the FBS among RBs with at least 100 rushes.
Growing up, Jeanty admired former running back Marshawn Lynch, who played seven seasons under Carroll in Seattle. Carroll said both players are similar when it comes to finding ways to make plays.
“[Jeanty’s] ability to make plays when it doesn’t look like there’s [anything] there, Marshawn did that throughout his career,” Carroll said. “There’s a special makeup in Ashton.”
Jeanty’s pass-catching trait is also highly regarded by the organization. He caught 80 passes for 862 yards and six touchdowns in three seasons at Boise State.
The Raiders have been linked to Jeanty throughout the draft process. They met with Jeanty at the combine and brought him to their facility for a visit, and Spytek attended Boise State’s pro day.
Furthermore, Las Vegas is expected to have a run-heavy offense under Carroll and new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. Carroll believes the run game can be a quarterback’s best friend. Jeanty has the potential to take some pressure off Smith.
Jeanty is excited to be part of Kelly’s offense and believes the former Eagles head coach will use the best of his abilities.
“I think he does a great job at getting everybody involved,” Jeanty said.
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Jeanty is the fifth running back taken in the first round by the Raiders in the common draft era, joining Marcus Allen, Napoleon Kaufman, Darren McFadden and Josh Jacobs. He should give the Raiders’ rushing attack a much-needed boost after it struggled last season. Las Vegas averaged a league-worst 3.6 yards per rush last season, the first time in team history it ranked last in that category.
Due to the Raiders’ current lack of depth at running back, Jeanty has a chance to be an immediate starter. Outside of Jeanty, the Raiders’ running backs room consists of Raheem Mostert, Zamir White, Sincere McCormick and Dylan Laube.
“I’m always looking for special qualities, unique things that they’re able to do with their vision, body control, toughness and speed,” Carroll said. “[Jeanty] is not a guy that’s going to just run into the wall. He’s going to find his way for the most space available with his marvelous creativity.”
Based on the Raiders’ draft board, Spytek said there will be a lot of good players available when they make their selection in the second round (37th overall) Friday. He also noted the possibility of Las Vegas trading down to get more picks.
“Johnny is just getting warmed up,” Carroll said.
