Ex-Cowboys HC Jason Garrett cautions over Ashton Jeanty-Emmitt Smith comparisons ahead of 2025 NFL Draft: "You gotta be careful"

Ashton Jeanty has long been touted by draft analysts to be the perfect running back for the Dallas Cowboys - explosively prolific and productive like Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith and teeming in superstar potential. But former quarterback and current NBC analyst Jason Garrett has reservations about such comparisons.

On Wednesday on Dan Patrick's eponymous show, Garrett said about Ashton Jeanty:

"If he reminds you of Emmitt Smith but better, you should draft him. And I just think you gotta be careful of talking about, reminds me of one of the greatest players in the NFL."

However, he also extolled the Boise State star's attributes:

"But I can see what they're saying - he seems to be a guy that is not overly flashy but is hard to tackle. He's got excellent contact balance, always finishing forward. Those guys make a difference on your team."

In recent weeks, the Ashton Jeanty-Cowboys rumors have subsided significantly. The two sides didn't meet each other during the Combine; and the franchise signed former Denver Bronco Javonte Williams to replace Rico Dowdle, who later went to the Carolina Panthers.

Locked On's Marcus Mosher and The Athletic's Jon Machota have said that Jerry Jones is confident in the depth of this year's running back pool that he will be willing to wait until Round 2 to draft one.

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Patriots writer predicts New England shockingly selecting Ashton Jeanty 4th overall in mock draft

So, if the Cowboys don't want Ashton Jeanty, who does?

A popular destination could be the Las Vegas Raiders, who also desperately need an explosive potential star at running back even after signing former rushing touchdowns leader Raheem Mostert to a one-year, $2.1-million deal.

The latest analyst to subscribe to that notion is The 33rd Team's James Foster, but Mike Dussault has an even bolder prediction in his own mock draft - the New England Patriots:

"Running backs are devalued these days and yes, there are probably going to be good backs drafted well into the later rounds, but for an offense that badly needs to be weaponized, Jeanty is the best weapon in this draft and a home run hitter who would instantly give the Patriots an elite threat and change the dynamic of the offense.

"He's obviously different than Derrick Henry, Mike Vrabel's bellcow back in Tennessee, but he is still that kind of foundational running back. His talent can offset offensive line deficiencies while also opening up the play-action passing attack."

The Patriots' current top two running backs are Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson, who combined for 1,339 of the team's 1,969 total rushing yards (68%) in 2024.