Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders, Round 1, Pick 6
The Raiders draft Ashton Jeanty with the 6th pick of Round 1.
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Fantasy Football Impact for Ashton Jeanty on the Las Vegas Raiders
After a historic 2024 campaign, Ashton Jeanty was locked in as the consensus RB1 in this year's class. Jeanty posted 2,739 scrimmage yards and 30 touchdowns at Boise State, finishing behind only Barry Sanders in the all-time single-season rushing record. There have been some concerns about Jeanty's size and competition level, but those were only minor nitpicks in an otherwise flawless profile. Jeanty showed chops in the receiving game in 2023, proving that he'll be able to handle a three-down role at the next level.
Jeanty is the complete package. He's got a stout frame, regularly shedding defenders with ease. His 152 missed tackles forced (according to PFF) were 49 more than the next-closest running back. He led all college backs with 36 rushes of 15-plus yards. His 1,970 yards after contact were more than any other running back logged in total rushing yards. I could continue boring you with eye-popping statistics. But rest assured, Jeanty is a phenom. He can bang between the tackles, rip off chunk plays, make defenders miss in space, and work as a check-down option in the passing game.
Landing with the Raiders isn't a shock at all. Pete Carroll has never shied away from investing draft capital into his backfield. He traded a couple of Day 2 picks for Marshawn Lynch in 2010. He invested a first-round pick in Rashaad Penny and a second in Christine Michel. After hitting on Ken Walker III in Round 2 of the 2022 Draft, he went right back to the well in 2023, spending another second-rounder on Zach Charbonnet. Carroll and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly have similar offensive philosophies. Their offenses implement a read option that only works with the threat of a strong run game. The current room of Raheem Mostert, Sincere McCormick, Zamir White, and Dylan Laube will not strike fear in defenses.
We've seen an abundance of prolific running backs under both Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly. Jeanty will be next up for that highly coveted role with very little competition for touches. In dynasty, Jeanty should be viewed through the same lens we saw Saquon Barkley, Ezekiel Elliott, and Todd Gurley. Expect him to be drafted in the first round of fantasy drafts and push to be the top finisher at the position in his rookie year.
The Fantasy Football Fallout
Jeanty's addition to this offense alongside superstar Brock Bowers gives them two young blue-chip prospects to build around. Jakobi Meyers is one of the league's most underrated receivers, but his abilities as a run-blocker help us piece together the offensive expectations. Expect run-heavy game plans that focus on getting the ball to Jeanty and Bowers. The threat of two physical weapons in the short area of the field should open up opportunities for deep shots to Meyers and Tre Tucker.
Geno Smith won't have the same slew of high-end pass catchers he had in Seattle, so it's hard to imagine his stock is rising. While his efficiency in this offense should be excellent, the overall volume could knock him down in fantasy rankings.
Any hopes of Raheem Mostert, Sincere McCormick, or Zamir White being fantasy-relevant are crushed. An injury to Jeanty is the only way they'll find paths to relevancy.
Stock Watch
Risers
Fallers
Overview
The premium draft capital invested in Ashton Jeanty tells us everything we need to know. The NFL views him as a blue-chip prospect, and the recent history of running backs drafted this high in the draft has a remarkable hit rate. Expect the Raiders to establish the run and Jeanty to push for an overall RB1 finish in 2025 and beyond.
For more information on the 2025 NFL Draft, check out the Footballguys Rookie Draft Guide, where you can read about Ashton Jeanty, the Las Vegas Raiders, and other rookie team fits.
