The Raiders made a relative splash in the first round of this past April's NFL Draft, selecting running back Ashton Jeanty with the sixth pick.
Jeanty, the son of a naval officer, played high school football in two different countries—beginning at Naples Middle/High School in Italy before finishing at Lone Star High School in Frisco, Texas. He went on to commit to Boise State and become a star for the Broncos.
Over three seasons with the blue and orange from 2022 to '24, the 5’8” phenom racked up more than 5,600 total yards and 56 total touchdowns. As a senior, Jeanty turned in a Heisman Trophy-contending campaign, leading the NCAA in both rushing yards (2,601) and attempts (374) while averaging seven yards per carry and finding the end zone 30 times. Though he ultimately lost the award to Colorado’s Travis Hunter, Jeanty was one of four finalists invited to the Heisman ceremony in New York.
So far as a pro, Jeanty—much like the Raiders themselves—has had an up-and-down season. At times, he’s flashed like the All-Pro-potential that Las Vegas likely saw in him when turning in his draft card; at others, he's shown the growing pains expected from a 21-year-old in the NFL.
Here’s a grade for his rookie season so far.
Ashton Jeanty
Ashton Jeanty has had an up-and-down rookie season so far. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Jeanty’s sporadic 2025 campaign has featured both impressive highs and humbling lows. He shined in Week 4 against the Bears, tallying 155 total yards and three total touchdowns, but also struggled out of the gate, averaging a mere two yards per carry in his NFL debut against the Patriots—a far cry from the dominant efficiency of his college career.
Through his first eight games, Jeanty has tallied 487 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 124 carries (3.9 YPC), along with 133 receiving yards and three additional scores on 20 receptions.
On the surface, those numbers are modest—ranking 16th in rushing yards, 34th in yards per carry, and 27th in rushing touchdowns among running backs. A deeper look at the advanced stats, however, shows Jeanty ranks second in broken tackles (16) and seventh in yards after contact (321), showing flashes of the playmaker Las Vegas hoped to be drafting out of Boise.
Long story short, Jeanty’s rookie year has been just above fine. If this were a full report card, rather than simply a grade, you’d see comments like, “Shows plenty of potential,” and “A work in progress.”
Grade: C+
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