"He will draft the running back in first round": Insider makes bold NFL landing spot prediction for Ashton Jeanty

Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty has been an underdog prospect heading into the 2025 NFL draft. His agility, insane footwork and raw strength likely draw attraction from plenty of franchises, including the Las Vegas Raiders, who are reportedly looking for some good prospects in the RB room.

Given the new head coach Pete Carroll's affinity towards the position and his experience in developing players, Jeanty could be a top target. NFL insider Steve Wyche believes the Raiders at No. 6 could use their pick on the Boise State RB.

He claimed that Carroll in the past had done the same during his tenure at Seattle. At the moment, they are pretty much in a sweet spot with the recent signing of Geno Smith and almost finalizing their QB1 for 2025. A big void that they can look to fill is RB and Jeanty could be a perfect fit.

“I think they're going to have a quarterback in there, and not just a training camp arm, somebody who can come in and give Geno Smith a run for his money, even though Geno Smith is their guy,” Wyche said to Tom Pelissero and Judy Battista on Saturday’s episode of the Insiders. [Timestamp - 5:50]

NCAA Football: Fiesta Bowl-Penn State at Boise State - Source: Imagn

“Another position that they didn't shut down is the running back. We know Ashton Jeanty out of Boise State. If he is there at six, he could be somebody who's highly appealing to them. We know Pete Carroll wants to run the football. He will draft the running back in the first round. We saw him do that with Seattle. We saw at USC, he had star running back after star running back. So that is a core type of player we'll see later in the draft.

"They got a lot of ways that they can go. But you know, you heard some slight things in there with Spytek (Raiders GM) talking about, 'Hey, we value skill players. We don't undervalue running backs and the quarterback.' They got a lot of ways they could go,” he added.

Ashton Jeanty could be a hot target among top 5 teams

While the quarterbacks and other prospects like Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter are prime attractions for teams, players like Jeanty don't come often. Coming from a G5 school and dominating the NCAA by breaking the school record isn't something that can be disregarded.

The Patriots at No. 4 could happen to be a sweet target for Jeanty if Mike Vrabel and Co. decide to pass on QB options and other prospects. Similarly, the New York Giants also stand as a potential destination. Although it may sound like a far-fetched idea, the possibility of this happening can't be neglected.