Ashton Jeanty

Even in a league well-stocked with running back talent, Jeanty is likely the position's best prospect in many years. That doesn't mean he'll be the best in the NFL -- Trent Richardson showed how things can go wrong even for seemingly infallible prospects -- but Jeanty nonetheless ranks on that level. At 5-foot-9, 211 pounds, he's naturally anchored and densely built, seemingly nailed to the floor and floating at the same time. He breaks tackle attempts with minimal effort, and his top on-field speed last season (21.7 mph) was the best of any RB from the incoming draft class, allowing him to skip pre-draft testing without hurting his stock. Jeanty dominated in two different roles at Boise State, thriving as a dual threat in 2023 (18.3 carries, 3.6 catches per game) before serving as more of a pure rushing workhorse in 2024 (26.7 carries, 1.7 catches). This means Jeanty likely can thrive as a Bijan Robinson-style workhorse or as more of an in-space specialist like early career Alvin Kamara. Large workloads won't take long to materialize in Las Vegas, where the No. 6 overall pick joins a backfield that was arguably the league's worst last season. The other new addition, 33-year-old Raheem Mostert, is unlikely to stand in Jeanty's way. Concerns about team context will be justified until the Raiders prove otherwise, but there is real hope for a competent offense under the guidance of new coordinator Chip Kelly and starting QB Geno Smith. For all of Kelly's other shortcomings, his four years as an NFL head coach produced offenses ranked first, ninth, 14th and fourth in rushing yards. Jeanty figures to step right in as the engine of the offense, with he and TE Brock Bowers being centerpieces of the Raiders' latest rebrand. Read Past Outlooks