Raiders Draft Standout Running Back Ashton Jeanty With No. 6 Pick

The star running back has found his new home.

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty runs with the ball. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders landed Boise State standout Ashton Jeanty, the biggest running back star in this year's NFL draft, with the sixth pick on Thurday night.

It was a toss-up for where Jeanty was going to land in the first round. The Raiders appeared to be the frontrunner for most of the offseason, but then the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos popped up as possible destinations for Jeanty. In the end, Jeanty lands in Las Vegas.

Raiders general manager John Spytek has been outwardly in support of drafting Jeanty—his son even threatened to leave the family if he didn't.

Jeanty had quite a standout season in 2024. He finished second in Heisman Trophy voting behind Colorado's Travis Hunter, who had the smallest margin of victory for the award since 2009. He did win the Doak Walker Award for most outstanding running back. Jeanty rushed for 2,601 yards this year, the second-most yards in a season in NCAA history and a Mountain West record. Jeanty sits behind Barry Sanders by just 27 yards for the NCAA record.

The Raiders finished with a 4–13 record last season. But, in 2025, Las Vegas will be led by new head coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith, and now they will have a new running back.

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