2025 NFL Draft: Should Jaguars Take Top RB Option?

The Jacksonville Jaguars have some room for improvement on their roster, but does that improvement lean toward Ashton Jeanty if he's available?

Dec 31, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be on the clock at number five overall in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, and while several mock drafts have leaned toward the franchise selecting a defensive piece to improve the roster, one prospect might be too good to pass up if available.

The prospect in question is Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty has been linked to several Top 10 overall drafting teams and viewed as one of the top prospects in the draft. Given a ton of the mock draftees have the Jaguars leaning defensively, should they take Jeanty?

While the need isn't exactly dire for the franchise given they possess Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne as two running back options, the opportunity of taking Jeanty might be too good to pass up. After all, the Jaguars offense could use some work, given what we all witnessed last season.

For Jeanty last season at Boise State, he collected over 2,000 rushing yards and scored 29 touchdowns for the Broncos. Whoever drafts Jeanty will get an immediate impact player on their roster and the Jaguars could be getting another offensive weapon to pair nicely with franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Jeanty is originally from Jacksonville, so he wouldn't have to move too far should the franchise bring him home. While their running game was well below average last season, the Jaguars need to address the issue rather than cross their fingers and hope that Etienne and Bigby can hold down the fort.

"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," NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote on Jeanty's draft profile.

"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."

With such a high appraisal from several across the league, Jeanty shouldn't be a player the Jaguars just pass up if he somehow falls to number five.

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