Why Jeanty to the Raiders Seems Inevitable

The Las Vegas Raiders need a running back.

Raheem Mostert, Zamir White, and Sincere McCormick are serviceable answers, but their ceilings are greatly limited to that of the 2025 NFL Draft's top running back prospect, Ashton Jeanty.

"Many were quick to associate Ashton Jeanty with Las Vegas after the Raiders acquired Geno Smith," wrote Edwards. "The Raiders are clearly trying to position themselves to compete in the next few years and they need more explosiveness on offense. It may be too rich to take a wide receiver here, so a way to address need without steering wide of value is to take Jeanty."

Per a scouting report from NFL.com's Lance Zierlein:

"Jeanty plays a position that has become devalued on draft day, but his unique talent and the resurgence of the run game in the NFL should force teams to reconsider that factor when weighing his value. He’s the ultimate yardage creator, with the talent and skill set to succeed independent of the quality of his blocking. Jeanty’s speed forces linebackers to flow hard outside, creating cutback lanes and chunk runs, while his vision, balance and elusiveness get it done along the interior. The threat of what he can do on the ground should create ideal play-action opportunities for his team, allowing his next play-caller to, say, unburden a young quarterback or any other passer being asked to shoulder too much of the offense. He’s compact and muscular, but there could be some minor concern surrounding his massive workload in 2024. This top-flight running back is capable of becoming the face of an offense in a league where the pendulum might be swinging back to the running game. Jeanty has future All-Pro talent."

Pro Football Focus was equally high on Jeanty's potential.