RB Ashton Jeanty is ready to be an NFL star; which teams are interested?

The NFL draft is just three days away, and star running back Ashton Jeanty is preparing to head to Green Bay, along with more than a dozen family and friends. He’s been invited by the league with the expectation that he’ll walk across the stage and shake the commissioner’s hand after his name is called in the first round.

Why is Ashton Jeanty a top prospect?

Aside from Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter –– who plays two positions –– Jeanty, who was runner-up to Hunter for the award, may be the biggest unicorn in the draft: A running back that could be taken with one of the top 10 picks. Since 2010, only six running backs have been drafted that high, and none since Saquon Barkley in 2018.

However, Jeanty is a special performer. At Boise State last season, he fell just 27 yards shy of Hall of Famer Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record, going for 2,601 yards.

When asked at his pro day workout what he wants NFL general managers to know, he didn’t leave anything out.

“If you’ve never turned my tape on, I’m a three-down back, exceptional with the ball in my hands, can run any type of run scheme you want, inside, outside,” Jeanty said. “The pass game, good hands, good routes, and you talk about third downs, protecting that quarterback. So, I’m a full all-around running back.”

Where does Jeanty want to be picked?

Jeanty hopes a team picks him that has some good pieces on offense and some veteran players to learn from. Those qualities are hit or miss, with teams drafting in the top 10. He says he has seen the mock drafts from pundits and writers but doesn’t really think too much about them.

“It’s more people’s opinion. I don’t know if they really have the inside scoop of what’s going on, the team’s front office,” Jeanty said. “It all just depends on how the draft goes. You never know what’s going to happen. It’s really just based on how those first few guys get picked off the board.”

Teams in the top 10 that are rumored to have a real interest in Jeanty include the New Orleans Saints, who pick at No. 9 and would welcome a protégé for star running back Alvin Kamara. New head coach Kellen Moore is also a Boise State alum.

If Jeanty is available at No. 10, the Chicago Bears will need running back help.

He had visits with those teams and several others at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.

What do the Raiders think about taking a running back?

The Las Vegas Raiders are the team most linked with Jeanty. They pick at No. 6, and General Manager John Spytek is getting pressure from an unexpected 10-year-old source.

“My oldest son has made it no secret that if we don’t pick Ashton Jeanty at six, that he’s walking out of the family and he’s gonna find somebody else,” Spytek joked on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “Probably whoever takes Ashton.”

In all seriousness, Spytek was asked Friday, April 18, during the Raiders’ pre-draft press conference about what he thought of the running back position. It became devalued around the league for a few seasons, only to see a resurgence in 2024.

“We just saw Saquon Barkley just change the Eagles in one year,” Spytek said. “There’s certain ways to build a team, and I don’t know where we got to a place where we don’t feel like running backs are valued. I come from the University of Michigan, and those guys were certainly really valued there. So, it’s hard for me to get away from that.”

Where will Jeanty land during the draft on Thursday, April 24? It’s anyone’s guess. But if he’s somehow still on the board at pick No. 12, his hometown Dallas Cowboys could make draft night extra special for him and his family.