The Las Vegas Raiders have given fans very little to cheer about during the 2025 NFL season. After an offseason of Pete Carroll preaching that the franchise was in win-now mode, the team has gotten off to a 2-8 start.
Making matters worse, the future looks just as bleak, as the rookie class has not been able to get on the field consistently. Ashton Jeanty is the only Raiders rookie who has had much of an impact, so the lack of reps from the rookies has been concerning for a team in need of an influx of young talent.
While Jeanty has shown flashes of being a productive running back, he has lacked consistency, and the offensive line hasn't done him any favors. NFL Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe recently called out the franchise's decision to select a running back sixth overall.
Shannon Sharpe labels Ashton Jeanty as the wrong pick for the struggling Raiders
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The Raiders had plenty of holes entering the 2025 NFL Draft. They attempted to address the rushing attack, which was the worst in the league last season, with their first pick, selecting Jeanty. Sharpe [called out](https://x.com/NightcapShow_/status/1990823440358457596) that decision on his _Nightcap_ podcast.
_**"Ashton Jeanty is a good player, but he's not the sixth pick in the draft. You take that guy if you got everything you need, but you rewarded him as if he was one of those transformational running backs. He's not," Sharpe said. "They needed too much to spend that pick on that guy."**_
Obviously, Las Vegas took a lot of flak for selecting Jeanty, as many felt that he was a luxury the team couldn't afford. Still, the Raiders, led by first-year general manager John Spytek, made the plunge because this was to be a run-first football team, and they felt good about the rest of the roster.
Las Vegas definitely miscalculated, as they're a distant last place in the AFC West and near the top of the draft board again. Sharpe believes that the Raiders will look to draft a quarterback next April, but he also threw shade at the team, saying they would have messed up Jaxson Dart had they taken him.
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While the rookie quarterback, who ended up landing with the New York Giants, would be playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league, Dart plays the one position that is truly able to change a franchise's fortunes.
Additionally, Las Vegas could have looked to rebuild its offensive line by drafting Armand Membou, Kelvin Banks Jr., Tyler Booker, or Josh Simmons. Defensive linemen like Jalon Walker or Walter Nolen, or wide receivers Tetairoa McMillan or Emeka Egbuka could have helped as well.
Jeanty has not been a bad player, but it is clear that he wasn't a great choice. Running backs are often only as good as their offensive line, and with so many needs and such a deep running back class, the Raiders should have focused on landing an impact player at a premier position instead.
Their decision to draft a running back so high with such a poor offensive line, combined with getting nearly nothing from the rest of the rookie class, has held the team back in 2025 and may very well hold them back in the future.
Although Sharpe was hard on Jeanty, we do not mean this as a knock on the young player at all. Jeanty should still wind up being a great player, but the franchise will enter next offseason with just as many needs.