Raiders in position to break trends on draft night

With the 2024 season being a mess, draft season for the Las Vegas Raiders began months ago.

New head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek have been at hard at work this offseason trying to construct their vision of the Raiders. Free agency has given fans and analysts some idea on what the new-look Raiders will be like, and the draft will be a reflection of that process. With nine picks in the draft so far, Carroll and Spytek walk in with plenty of ammunition to find the next generation of Raiders.

It helps that, with their first pick of the draft at sixth overall, the Raiders have the chance to go against one of the NFL’s longest current-standing narratives.

Are the Raiders really going to draft a running back sixth overall?

Many mock drafts are consistent with what direction the Raiders take with the sixth pick, almost unanimously having them select Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.

“The Raiders can take some pressure off of [Raiders quarterback] Geno Smith by adding Jeanty, who is one of the top three players in the draft.” wrote NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah in his mock draft.

Even after adding veteran running back Raheem Mostert in free agency, drafting Jeanty is the kind of spark for the Raiders to boost a rushing attack that ranked dead last in 2024.

Jeanty’s blend of field vision, elusiveness and breakaway speed make him the home-run threat the Raiders desperately need at the position. Adding him to the Raiders roster means the team can be more balanced offensively, not forcing themselves to exclusively pass in critical situation. Given how Carroll’s offenses have thrived on elite running back play from Reggie Bush at USC to Marshawn Lynch with the Seattle Seahawks, the fit is too perfect to ignore.

Should the Raiders go this route, however, it would fly in the face of modern NFL conventions.

The running back position has undergone serious depreciation over the last few years, and their draft status has reflected that theory. Over the last five years, only one running back has been drafted in the top ten; that was Bijan Robinson being drafted eighth overall by the Atlanta Falcons in 2023. The Raiders themselves have not drafted a running back in the top ten since selecting Darren McFadden fourth overall in 2008.

Jeanty is an unquestionably elite talent, but the franchise-altering question for the Raiders is whether the value is right.