Ex-NFL scout claims selecting Ashton Jeanty with a top-20 pick in draft “would be insane”

Ashton Jeanty is considered by most to be the top available running back in the 2025 NFL Draft class. His dominant college football career with the Boise State Broncos has him potentially projected in the first half of the first round this year.

It's not often that running backs get drafted this high anymore, but many believe Jeanty will be one of the few exceptions. Former NFL scout John Middlekauff is apparently opposed to the idea of any team selecting him early in the first round. He explained why during a recent appearance on The Colin Cowherd Podcast.

Middlekauff stated:

"I really like the player, but I think taking a 5'8" running back when it's one of the deepest drafts at that position, would be insane for any team in the top 20. That includes the Raiders and the Cowboys. He also played at Boise State, where we saw him against Penn State, not all his fault."

"Well, if you're going to take him in the top 10, he better be Barry Sanders, or it's a disaster. Because the last couple of guys who got drafted that high were Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley, and Bijan Robinson. They are not 5'8" kids from Boise State."

John Middlekauff highlighted that his main concerns about Ashton Jeanty are his height and the competition he played against in college football. He is just 5'8" tall, which is small for a running back prospect, and played a relatively weak schedule with the Boise State Broncos.

He mentioned his struggles against Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl, when he recorded his fewest rushing yards in any game this year. He still exceeded 100 rushing yards, demonstrating just how dominant his 2024 season really was.

Ashton Jeanty's historic 2024 college football season

Ashton Jeanty

Ashton Jeanty played in 14 total games during the 2024 college football season and exceeded 100 yards in all of them. He rushed for at least 200 yards in six of those games and totaled 29 touchdowns along the way. He also finished in second place to Travis Hunter for the Heisman Trophy award this year.

The superstar running back became just the second player in college football history to rush for more than 2,600 yards in a single season. He fell just 27 yards shy of Barry Sanders for the single-season record, which he set all the way back in the 1988 season. It's safe to say that Jeanty had one of the best years by any collegiate running back ever.