The Raiders are the betting favorite to draft Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty with the sixth overall choice. He makes too much sense for a team that has a new quarterback in Geno Smith.
As General Manager John Spytek was being asked a question about Jeanty on Friday, head coach Pete Carroll leaned in and whispered, “Be careful.”
“I’m going to be careful about talking about any specific player,” Spytek said. “But, more broadly to the running back question, I mean, we just saw Saquon Barkley just change the Eagles in one year. Now they had a great team around him, and it was adding an elite player. I think when you sit where we sit, the idea is to add elite players at any position. I don’t try to devalue any certain position.
“There’s times in games where there’s nobody you’d rather have than the best kicker in the league, too, right, in that moment. There’s certain ways to build a team, and I don’t know where we got to a place where we feel like running backs aren’t valued. I come from the University of Michigan to my core, and those guys were certainly really valued there, and it’s hard for me to get away from that.”
No running backs were taken in the first round in 2024, but Bijan Robinson went No. 8 in 2023 followed by Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12.
The Raiders last drafted a quarterback in the first round in 2019, selecting Josh Jacobs with the 24th overall pick. After losing Jacobs to the Packers in free agency a year ago, the Raiders finished last in rushing.
Jeanty gained 2,601 yards and scored 29 touchdowns last season in becoming a Heisman Trophy finalist.
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