Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty finished in second place behind Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter in the 2024 Heisman Trophy voting. The star RB had a historic year with Boise State, and people are already looking forward to which team will select him in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Jeanty is projected to be a first-round pick, but some believe he could hear his name called relatively early in the draft. Former Philadelphia Eagles scout John Middlekauff recently talked about the top prospect and gave his views on the running back’s draft projection.
John Middlekauff Delivers Assessment of Ashton Jeanty
In a recent appearance on “The Colin Cowherd Podcast,” Middlekauff was asked whether Jeanty is a sure-shot first-round pick.
“I would say he’s a universal favorite amongst the NFL scouting community,” said Middlekauff. “Honestly, his only knock is he’s like 5’8″. If he was six feet tall or 5’11″, I think he’d be a lock top-10 pick.”
Middlekauff added, “I do think he’s gonna be a fascinating draft prospect because his tape is, like, about as unique and dominant as you’ll see, but he’s small. I mean, do you see a 5’8″ running back going in the top 15? That’s hard, but I think he’ll end up going in the first round.”
Will Ashton Jeanty be a Top 10 pick in the NFL Draft?@colincowherd & @JohnMiddlekauff discuss the Boise State RB pic.twitter.com/B7HtVv5fMV
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) December 17, 2024
In 13 games this year, Jeanty has rushed for 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns, averaging 7.3 yards per carry and 192.1 rushing yards per game. He also had 20 receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown while leading his team to a 12-1 record and a College Football Playoff berth.
Any other year, Jeanty would have easily won the Heisman Trophy, but unfortunately, he had to compete with Hunter, who had a type of two-way season that we might never see again.
Nevertheless, the 21-year-old running back will have enough opportunities in the NFL to further show how exceptional of a player he is.
Cowboys Viewed as Most Likely Landing Spot for Jeanty
As of now, the Dallas Cowboys are viewed as the most probable landing spot for Jeanty. The team needs an improvement at the RB position, and based on their record, will likely be in a position to get him in the first round.
The Cowboys have the league’s sixth-worst run game in 2024, averaging just 99.8 rushing yards per game. Rico Dowdle has impressed in the past few games, but the team needs a prolific player to support him.
Having a player like Jeanty would make the job easier for quarterback Dak Prescott and the rest of the offense. The Cowboys made the mistake of not replacing RB Tony Pollard last offseason, and it came to bite them, as Dallas will likely miss the playoffs, which is why Jerry Jones should not make the same mistake again.
Jeanty has already expressed his desire to be drafted by the Cowboys, and now it’s up to the team’s front office to make sure Dallas fans get what they want.
