The New Orleans Saints had a season to forget in 2024. They finished last in the NFC South with a disappointing 5-12 record, failing to qualify for the playoffs for the fourth straight year.
Some of that can be attributed to quarterback Derek Carr’s injury. But even with Carr at the helm, there wasn’t enough talent on the team to make it to the playoffs. As the Saints walk into next season, they are predicted to pick Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Saints Predicted To Pick Ashton Jeanty in 2025 NFL Draft
Injuries continue to pile on for Carr, and even when healthy, he tallied just 2,145 yards in 10 games while adding 15 touchdowns to the total. If Carr returns to New Orleans healthy, they still have glaring holes in their offense that finished as the 22nd-ranked unit on PFSN’s Offense+ metric.
That’s why NFL analyst Sam Farmer predicts Kellen Moore could jumpstart the new era in New Orleans by drafting Jeaty as the No. 9 overall pick.
“Kellen Moore wants a complement to star running back Alvin Kamara. Jeanty is the best ball carrier in this class.”
Kamara also struggled with injuries in the latter part of 2024 but still managed 68 receptions for 543 yards, two touchdowns, and 228 carries for 950 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. Adding Jeanty to the RB room will make a ton of difference to the Saints’ offense and add much-needed firepower to Carr.
Jeanty had a stellar 2024 season, leading the Broncos’ offense with one of the most dominant rushing seasons ever. With 2,601 yards on 374 carries, Jeanty finished the year with the second-most rushing yards in a season of all time, only behind the record holder, Barry Sanders.
Jeanty also scored 29 rushing and one receiving touchdowns in 2024. He had only 21 touchdowns in his first two seasons at Boise State and was named a Heisman finalist, falling just short of Colorado’s two-way star, Travis Hunter — but now, he’s headed to the 2025 NFL Draft as a top prospect.
Here’s what PFSN’s Brentley Weissman wrote about Jeanty in his scouting report:
“There are few running backs in recent memory that are entering the draft with as much hype as Jeanty, and with good reason. Jeanty offers outstanding playmaking ability and has the game-breaking attributes that can justify a team spending high draft capital at a non-priority position such as running back.
“Jeanty offsets his average size with outstanding speed, burst, and vision. Jeanty is a short running back but has a dense build with a sturdy lower body. While not possessing imposing size, Jeanty has rare contact balance and can easily bounce off would-be tacklers without losing speed or balance.
“He is a physical runner who flashes a strong stiff arm, and it often takes multiple tacklers to bring him down. In short, Jeanty is a player who defensive coordinators preach about gang tackling all week, considering his ability to break through tacklers late in the down for extra yards.”
PFSN’s Mock Draft Projection
In PFSN’s latest seven-round mock draft by Joe DeLeone, the Saints are predicted to pick LSU’s Will Campbell with the No. 9 overall pick. Here’s what DeLeone writes about the projection:
“The Saints’ offensive line has been extremely inconsistent over the past few years despite heavy investment with first-round picks. Will Campbell presents a unique solution, being that he’ll likely be a fantastic guard, but he could remain at tackle if they choose to shuffle around bodies.”
Meanwhile, Jeanty is projected to be picked as the No. 12 overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys.
“Ashton Jeanty becoming a Dallas Cowboy is consistently one of my favorite projected draft picks this cycle. Dallas was so bland and unexplosive offensively last year because they lacked weapons on offense. Jeanty is a home run threat who has the vision to explode behind a historically good offensive line.”
