Why the Raiders Made the Right Decision with Ashton Jeanty

The Las Vegas Raiders' selection of running back Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 pick in last year's NFL Draft naturally brought heightened expectations than another pick would have. Jeanty's position has arguably the shortest career span of any position group in the National Football League.

Still, the Raiders decided to draft an undeniably talented running back to help fix what was one of the worst ground games in the league. Although the Raiders did the wise thing by adding Jeanty, they failed to provide him with a serviceable offensive line. Las Vegas' line was the worth in the league.

Where Jeanty Ranks

Gennaro Filice of NFL.com ranked Jeanty as the 24th-best rookie in his ranking of the top 25 rookies from this season. The Raiders had a bad season, finishing 3-14. Still, it is hard to believe 23 other rookies had better seasons than Jeanty, all things considered.

"I’m probably ranking Jeanty too low, especially given his plight on the league’s worst team. It’s hard to play running back when nobody blocks for you. Of Jeanty’s 975 rushing yards, 863 came after contact -- a whopping 88.5%. The man did yeoman’s work just getting the ball back to the line of scrimmage," Filice said.

"And with 55 catches, including five that went for touchdowns, he reminded everyone of the receiving ability he showcased in his penultimate season at Boise State. I still believe in Jeanty’s all-around talent, and sincerely hope the Raiders give him an offensive line to put it on full display."

Last week, Raiders General Manager John Spytek analyzed Jeanty's season. Jeanty was the very first pick Spytek made as a general manager in the league. Spytek was impressed with what he saw from Jeanty and hopes to see more with an improved roster next season.

"Yeah, I'm proud of Ashton [Jeanty]. It wasn't an easy season for him. He showed up every day and worked. He showed up every game and competed. He was always available for his teamates. He was an exemplary worker, and we've got to do a better job surrounding him with a lot of players that can help him too,” Spytek said.

“His success -- I know there's been a lot of narratives out there that he didn't have the season that maybe he deserved or you would expect from the sixth overall pick. Well, that's fine, but it's not just Ashton. There's 10 other people that are out there with him, and it's our job to put a great group of guys around him to help him realize his potential.

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