The race for the Heisman Trophy was a two-man battle between Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver/cornerback star Travis Hunter and Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty.
While Jeanty didn’t walk away with the hardware, he remains one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. In his third season with the Broncos, Jeanty recorded 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns, averaging an impressive seven yards per carry.
Boise State fell in its first matchup of the College Football Playoff to Penn State, but the defeat didn’t damage Jeanty’s draft stock. His stat line was underwhelming for his standards (30 carries for 104 rushing yards), but the film still displayed a likely top-10 pick.
NFL Analyst Predicts Where Ashton Jeanty Will Land in the NFL Draft
The Las Vegas Raiders hold the No. 6 pick, and while they’re in need of a franchise quarterback, this may not be the year to draft one. Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders are the consensus top two QBs in the class, but there’s a rather steep drop-off in the position group after them.
Thus, NFL analyst Connor Hughes of SNY predicts the Raiders to select Jeanty at No. 6, writing, “The Raiders are the team that could reach for a quarterback here. We’ll see how the pre-draft process shakes out and if someone jumps up the board. Until then, Jeanty is the pick.
“There are other options (corner, offensive line), but Jeanty is maybe the best offensive player in the class. He had 2,601 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns this season for Boise State.”
The Raiders’ RB room is constructed of Ameer Abdullah, Alexander Mattison, and Chris Collier. None of these names jump off the paper, which is exactly what Jeanty would do for the organization.
Las Vegas’ coaching staff could place much of the offensive burden on the running back fresh off a season with 374 carries.
Jeanty Misses Out on Dream Destination in This Scenario
It’s a bit unusual for NFL prospects to publicly share their preference of organization, but that’s exactly what Jeanty did. In an interview with NBC DFW reporter Pat Doney, the 5-foot-9 wrecking ball revealed his desire to play for the Dallas Cowboys.
“I would love to play for the Cowboys. It’d be like a dream come true,” Jeanty said. “I used to play in their practice stadium for all our home games in high school. Even my freshman year, we practiced there when we came down here for the Frisco Bowl.
“Yeah, honestly, it would really just feel like I’m at home. I ain’t gonna say too much, but Dallas has always had a good running back. They play a lot better when they got a good running back.”
No matter where Jeanty ends up, there’s a strong chance he skyrockets up the RB ranks in his first season.