NFL draft analyst compares 2600-YD Heisman runner-up to former MVP LaDainian Tomlinson

A top running back prospect in the upcoming NFL draft is drawing comparisons to a former prominent NFL player at that position. On Wednesday, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman praised Ashton Jeanty for his tremendous speed, saying that he:

“Reaches top speed quickly to rip off chunk runs (five touchdowns of 70 yards or more in 2024, tying LaDainian Tomlinson for single-season FBS record).”

Jeanty won the Doak Walker Award in 2024 as the top running back in college football, rushing for a career-high 2,601 yards on 374 attempts while finding the end zone 29 times on the ground. He was also a runner-up for the Heisman Trophy.

Feldman, though, notes that Jeanty isn’t just dynamic out of the backfield but also strong in the pass-catching department.

“Dangerous in passing game with natural hands and receiving athleticism (four drops on 97 career targets) … Boise State put a lot on his plate as pass blocker — showed awesome promise in that area,” according to Feldman.

During his NFL career, Tomlinson was a five-time Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro three times, while being named the NFL MVP in 2006. He was a unanimous All-American in 2000, a feat Jeanty achieved in college last season.

Tomlinson is second in the NFL all-time for career touchdowns. In his final season in college with TCU, Tomlinson rushed for a career-high 2,158 yards. Jeanty’s previous campaign was the first time he ran for over 2,000 yards.

With his total of 2,601 yards on the ground last season, Jeanty became just the second player in the history of college football to rush for over 2,600 yards in a single season, the other being Barry Sanders.

Ashton Jeanty landing spots

While he likely won’t be a top-five selection or maybe even a top 10, Ashton Jeanty will have many NFL teams interested in his services.

Among them are the Las Vegas Raiders, who couldn’t establish much of a ground game in 2024 after letting Josh Jacobs join the Green Bay Packers. Jeanty was one of several draft prospects who met with the Raiders on Wednesday.

The Chicago Bears are another team reportedly in the mix to add Jeanty when they are on the clock on April 24. The Raiders were dead last in rushing last season, averaging just 79.8 yards per game, while the Bears ranked 25th in that department with 102 per game.

Another team now reportedly in the running is the New York Jets, with ESPN’s Rich Cimini predicting on Tuesday that the club would trade Breece Hall and go after Jeanty with the seventh overall pick.

Jeanty should have plenty of intriguing options on where to play, given the season. He has the potential to be a starter in the NFL almost immediately.