The NFL Draft is one of the most highly-anticipated events of the NFL offseason as a new crop of NFL hopefuls learn where they will begin their professional careers, and the 2025 NFL Draft will begin Thursday, April 24.
The most talked about NFL Draft storylines are usually monopolized by wondering which teams will find their new franchise quarterbacks. Running backs haven’t typically received the same attention because teams have deprioritized the position in recent years. The turnover at the position doesn’t make them wise investments, but there is usually one or two players at the top of the class worthy of being an early pick who can start in Week 1.
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty put on a show in his final year with the Broncos. He ran the ball a whopping 374 times, picking up 2,601 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns in 14 games. Jeanty finished 27 yards shy of the all-time record held by Barry Sanders.
Any NFL team that needs a starting running back will be in the mix for Jeanty. Teams will have to decide how valuable he can be and how much draft capital they are willing to use on him. Regardless of draft position, here are the best fits for Jeanty in the NFL.
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Ashton Jeanty NFL mock draft
Jeanty is on the smaller side at 5-foot-9 but is a bowling ball on the ground at 215 lbs. He is an impressive blend of size and speed, with NFL analyst Lance Zierlein saying the running back “creates yardage with a rare trio of wiggle, power and speed.” Bleacher Report’s Dame Parson says that Jeanty has “near elite-contact balance, difficult to bring down on first attempts,” but he needs to “avoid tackles and big hits instead of trying to absorb them.”
The biggest knock about Jeanty is the worry about what his final collegiate season did to him. He carried the ball 374 times, 64 more than the next player. Once Boise State realized how effective Jeanty could be, it leaned on him in the offense. A whopping 279 of his carries came over the team’s final nine games.
Best fits for Ashton Jeanty
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys need a starting running back. Dallas will be down star lineman Zack Martin as the 34-year-old elected to retire, but the team typically has one of the better offensive line units in the league. The Cowboys let Tony Pollard walk in free agency a year ago and didn’t make any move to replace him. Rico Dowdle became the starter and finished with 1,079 rushing yards and two touchdowns. But he was on a one-year deal and is now a free agent.
Dallas has the 12th pick in the NFL Draft. This is a common landing spot for Jeanty because he would give an instant boost to the Dallas offense and would be able to be a Day 1 starter for the Cowboys.
Las Vegas Raiders
Last offseason, the hype grew around Raiders running back Zamir White. He was shown working out, and it looked like he had become stronger and more explosive through the offensive line. All of the hype quickly diminished when the season began. White struggled to be productive, averaging only 2.8 yards per carry in his eight games. In comparison, Sincere McCormick played in five games and finished with the same rushing yards (183) in 39 carries compared to White’s 65.
Alexander Mattison was the team’s leading rusher last season and is a free agent. Las Vegas has the sixth overall pick in the draft. The Raiders’ team needs don’t stop at running back, though. In the last five years, only five running backs have been selected in the first round— Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Najee Harris, Travis Etienne and Clyde Edwards Helaire. Harris didn’t have his fifth-year option picked up and is a free agent this year. Edwards-Helaire was already cut by the Chiefs and signed with the Saints. The sixth overall pick, realistically, is likely too high to use on Jeanty, especially with Vegas needing a quarterback. Still, Jeanty would have a clear-cut role leading the Raiders backfield next season, with little competition, barring a splash free agent signing.
New York Jets
You may see this team and say, “But they have Breece Hall!” The Jets do currently have Hall on the roster. New York is going to go through a complete rebuild, though. The Jets are parting ways with Aaron Rodgers and likely will be moving on from Davante Adams. New York could continue to clean house by trading away Breece Hall. His name has been floated around in a potential trade with the Browns for Myles Garrett, but that is pure speculation at this point.
The Jets are in a similar spot as Las Vegas in that they are picking No. 7 in the draft and are not just one player away from contending. New York could move back in the draft and take Jeanty to build their offense with Garrett Wilson. Would it be the smartest move? Not necessarily, but it depends on what assets New York could get for Hall and to move back in the draft.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have struggled in the first round the last few years. Pittsburgh drafted Najee Harris in 2021 but didn’t pick up his fifth-year option, letting him hit free agency. The Steelers drafted Kenny Pickett in 2022 and traded him to the Eagles ahead of the 2024 season.
It looks like the Steelers have their running back answer in Jaylen Warren, but the team runs the ball a lot. He wouldn’t get as much work in a split backfield, but Pittsburgh is committed to an old-school offense focused on running the ball early and often. The Steelers will have to spend some money restocking its quarterback room, so taking Jeanty fills a hole and saves some money.
Cleveland Browns
What does Nick Chubb have left? He tore his ACL in 2023 and played sparingly in 2024. The running back is a free agent, and the backup is Jerome Ford, who only has one year left on his contract. Cleveland’s offense has a big question mark under center. Deshaun Watson re-ruptured his Achilles tendon, and his 2025 campaign is in question. Jameis Winston is a fan favorite but didn’t show on the field that he could be trusted as a starter.
The Browns need someone to ground their offense. Jeanty has shown he can handle an absurd workload, even if that doesn’t bode well for an elongated career. He is the playmaker who could help turn around the Cleveland offense and could take some pressure off a quarterback in a new system. The Browns have the second overall pick, so they would likely have to trade back into the first round to get him or could take him early in the second round if he falls.
New York Giants
The Giants were the talk of the 2024 offseason for letting Saquon Barkley walk. The running back joined a division rival in the Eagles and fueled them to a Super Bowl 59 win over the Chiefs. Meanwhile, New York went with a tandem of Devin Singletary and Tyrone Tracy Jr. The latter impressed, averaging 4.4 yards per carry and adding five touchdowns on the ground. He would complement Jeanty well, and one analyst recently said that the Giants need to find a way to sell tickets. Drafting the Heisman runner-up certainly does that.
The Giants’ lone problem would be where to take Jeanty. New York owns the No. 3 overall pick, which would be the highest draft slot for a running back since the franchise took Barkley second overall in 2018. The Giants would likely be more like the Browns and subject to drafting Jeanty by moving back into the first round after making their initial pick or taking him at the start of the second if he falls.
