Could Eagles' Success Alter Raiders' NFL Draft Plans?

The Las Vegas Raiders own the sixth pick in the NFL Draft this year, which actually puts them in a pretty complicated situation heading into the offseason.

At No. 6, the Raiders are kind of in no-man's land, as they are probably too far down for one of Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders to slide to them.

Is there hope that perhaps Sanders can fall to Las Vegas? Maybe, but the chances are slim, so the Raiders may need to prepare otherwise.

Pro Football Network actually sees Las Vegas going in a different direction entirely, and in its most recent seven-round mock draft, it has the Raiders selecting Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty in the first round.

"That’s right. Running backs matter again. And a running back like Ashton Jeanty can be an offense’s most valuable player," PFN wrote. "Jeanty is a special RB talent, with a near-generational evasion fusion that combines elusiveness, contact balance, vision, and relentlessness."

In other words, the Philadelphia Eagles just won a Super Bowl with Saquon Barkley leading the way all season, proving the importance of halfbacks in the modern game.

Prior to the Eagles beating the Kansas City Chiefs this past Sunday, no team with a 1,000-yard running back had won a championship since the New England Patriots during the 2016-17 campaign.

But now, halfbacks are in style again, and Jeanty is the consensus best one in his draft class.

The 21-year-old racked up 2,601 yards and 29 rushing touchdowns this past season, finishing 28 yards shy of topping Barry Sanders' NCAA record.

Considering how much Barkley spearheaded Philadelphia's offense this past year, could the Raiders consider a style change? Could they set their sights on Jeanty?

Las Vegas definitely needs a running back following Josh Jacobs' departure last offseason. Zamir White was disappointing, and while Sincere McCormick showed flashes, he is vastly unproven and may not be an every-down guy.

Enter Jeanty, who has also displayed terrific pass-catching ability out of the backfield (he hauled in 43 receptions in 2023) and would add a new dimension to the Raiders' needy offense.

Las Vegas will likely attempt to land Sanders one way or the other, but if that fails, the Raiders may want to pivot to Jeanty.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE