Entering the 2025 NFL offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders are one of the many rebuilding teams in dire need of a quarterback. While some see the Raiders potentially addressing those needs at the 2025 NFL Draft, others believe general manager John Spytek will instead take Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty to fill the team’s void at running back.
After three dominant seasons at Boise State, Jeanty took the Broncos to the College Football Playoffs and subsequently entered the 2025 NFL Draft. As the clear-cut top running back of the class, Jeanty could get an early call in Green Bay to the backfield-needy Raiders, ESPN’s Jordan Reid predicted.
“Expect the Raiders to be heavily involved in the veteran quarterback market; I think Russell Wilson or Justin Fields could fit,” Reid wrote. “If they fill that need in free agency, then Las Vegas can take the best player available, which I think is [Ashton] Jeanty… Drafting a running back this high will prompt debate, but the Raiders desperately need help in that department after finishing 2024 last in rushing yards per game (79.8) and yards per rush (3.6).”
Jeanty did not work out at the NFL Combine but met with multiple teams in Indianapolis. The 2024 Heisman Trophy runner-up had no need to perform any drills at the Combine with his stock already as high as it could be.
If the Raiders, who currently own the No. 6 overall pick, take Jeanty, it would be a mild surprise, given the high placing. However, should Spytek land Las Vegas a new quarterback in free agency, they would be justified in doing so given the poor current state of their backfield.
Raiders’ uninspiring backfield in 2024
For most of 2024, the Raiders’ mess of a backfield consisted of an uninspiring duo between Alexander Mattison and Ameer Abdullah. Mattison led the team with just 460 rushing yards on the year, with Abdullah adding 311.
While largely unimpressive, the team briefly received a two-game burst from undrafted second-year Sincere McCormick. The former UTSA star ran for 142 combined yards in Weeks 13 and 14 but suffered an ankle injury the following week that landed him on injured reserve.
Jeanty is coming off one of the best seasons from a running back in college football history. He ran for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns as a junior in 2024 on 7.0 yards per carry. He led the country in all three categories. As a power runner, Jeanty also led the nation in yards after contact with 1,733.
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