NFL mock drafts: Dallas Cowboys heavy favorite to select Ashton Jeanty

Sportsbook lists Cowboys as -170 favorite to draft Boise State star tailback

Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ashton Jeanty to the Dallas Cowboys has been a popular mock draft choice for months, and the betting odds agree with the prognosticators. 

According to Bovada, the Dallas Cowboys are a -170 favorite to select the Boise State junior running back in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Bovada also lists odds for the Las Vegas Raiders (+550), Houston Texas (+700), Los Angeles Chargers (+1000), Denver Broncos (+1000), Pittsburgh Steelers (+1500) and Chicago Bears (+1500). 

Jeanty finished his junior season with 374 carries for 2,601 yards and 30 total touchdowns. He ranks second on the all-time FBS single-season rushing list behind Barry Sanders, who ran for 2,628 yards and 37 touchdowns in 1988.

The 5-foot-9, 215-pound back picked up another honor Friday morning: the 2024 Bobby Bowden Trophy. The award is presented annually to a player who has exemplary character and epitomizes what it means to be a student-athlete.

Jeanty also won the Maxwell Award, Doak Walker Award and a second Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year honor. He finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting to Colorado’s Travis Hunter. 

Here is a collection of opinions from draft experts on where Jeanty will land in the 2025 NFL Draft. 

1. Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA Today: No. 10 to Chicago Bears

Rationale: “Is using a top-10 selection on a running back a good use of resources for a team with as many issues as the Bears? Maybe not. But there’s little question that Chicago has to take drastic action to better support Caleb Williams after a calamitous debut campaign for the 2024 No. 1 pick. Jeanty … is the rare ball carrier capable of recalibrating an offense.”

2. Luke Easterling, Athlon Sports: No. 12 to Dallas Cowboys

Rationale: “This feels like a lazy pick at this point, but there’s just no denying how much the Cowboys need to balance out their offense with a quality ground attack, and the fact that Jeanty is an elite prospect at the position. He’s a top-10 overall talent in this draft, and could instantly transform Dallas’ offensive identity with his three-down skill set.”

3. Josh Edwards, CBS Sports: No. 17 to Cincinnati Bengals

Rationale: “Tee Higgins could move on this offseason despite a public campaign from Joe Burrow. If that were to happen, then there are other ways to supplement the pass game. Clyde Edwards-Helaire went on to be a first-round pick after working with Burrow. His contributions in the pass game were a big reason for that heavy investment.”

4. Connor Rogers, NBC Sports: No. 28 to Minnesota Vikings

Rationale: “Aaron Jones on a one-year deal at age 30 has been a home run for the Vikings, but adding Jeanty to this offense next year would be flat-out ridiculous. He has some of the best balance and vision I’ve evaluated at the position and would be a day one star in Minnesota.”

5. Clint Goss, Sports Illustrated: No. 6 to Las Vegas Raiders

Rationale: “Mark Davis’s Raiders urgently need to improve at starting quarterback, but their standing in the draft makes Ward or Sanders unlikely. A more likely approach is targeting a veteran like Sam Darnold to start in 2025. Jeanty adds a shot of adrenaline to a thread-bare running back room.”

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