The Case For the Jaguars to Draft Ashton Jeanty

Why should the Jacksonville Jaguars consider Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty at No. 5 overall?

Nov 23, 2024; Laramie, Wyoming, USA; Boise State Broncos running back and Heisman Trophy candidate Ashton Jeanty (2) runs for a touchdown against the Wyoming Cowboys during the first quarter at Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-Imagn Images / Troy Babbitt-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars have some big decisions facing them in the next few weeks.

The 2025 NFL Draft is set to be the most important moment yet for the Jaguars' new regime of head coach Liam Coen, general manager James Gladstone and executive vice president of football operations Tony Boselli. It isn't hyperbolic to say it could set the tone for the trio's first year at the helm of the franchise.

That is why there has been so much conversation and debate when it comes to the Jaguars' first pick at No. 5 overall. The top pick gives the Jaguars a chance to add a potential blue-chip prospect to the formula for the Jaguars' new leadership group.

And when it comes to blue-chip prospects, there aren't many like Boise State's Ashton Jeanty.

Jeanty's name has come up now and then in mock drafts this offseason, though nowhere close to how often Mason Graham's name has. Despite that, it feels like Jeanty's candidacy to be the No. 5 pick has seen a surge of momentum in national media in the weeks leading up to the draft.

There is a case to make against the idea of the Jaguars selecting the Heisman Trophy runner-up at No. 5, and that case will be made in a later piece. But what about the flip side of that coin? What is the actual argument for the Jaguars to take Jeanty?

To me, it is clear.

In a draft full of solid but unspectacular players, why not take the phenom who might have one of the best chances of any player in the draft to become a Pro Bowl or All-Pro player?

In that regard, it surely seems like Jeanty is at least No. 2 in the class behind Travis Hunter. And since Hunter will likely split time at two positions in the NFL, there is even an argument to be made that Jeanty could be the most obvious future Offensive Player of the Year candidate in the draft class.

With 43 rushing touchdowns and 3,948 rushing yards over the past two seasons, Jeanty has all of the film in the world to back up his candidacy as one of the best running back prospects in recent years.

Just based off the tape, measurables and production, it seems like Jeanty can at least be in the same tier as Bijan Robinson as a draft prospect. Robinson went No. 8 in the 2023 NFL Draft, but three quarterbacks went in the first seven picks that year. This year, there is a chance only one quarterback is drafted that early.

The Jaguars have two capable running backs who have made big plays in past seasons in Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby, but Jeanty is the type of running back an offense could be built around. The Jaguars already have a No. 1 receiver and have begun overhauling the offensive line. Getting Trevor Lawrence a workhorse running back might be the best way to make life easier for Lawrence.

There will always be the fact that taking a running back with the fifth pick is not the most efficient use of resources. But if the Jaguars' ultimate goal is to help Lawrence, does it matter how they get there?

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