With the NFL Combine upon us, the Las Vegas Raiders are faced with the important decision of whom to select with the sixth overall pick in the upcoming draft. While some fans advocate for drafting Shedeur Sanders from the University of Colorado, the team seems to have eyes for a wholly different position.
Hayden Winks of Underdog Fantasy posted to social media that “Chip Kelly is drooling over [RB Ashton] Jeanty, per sources*,” with his sources named as common sense.
It was a quote post based on that of Raiders reporter Vic Tafur who posted “Before and during his podium session right now, new Raiders GM John Spytek said he plans to emulate the Eagles’ recipe: strong defense up front and lean on the running game.”
NFL Combine Calls For Las Vegas Raiders To Draft Ashton Jeanty Grow More Numerous
Winks isn’t the only one who believes the Raiders will opt for this direction.
In his pre-NFL Combine mock draft, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. offers a different perspective on the Las Vegas Raiders’ draft strategy. While acknowledging that Cam Ward was selected by the Cleveland Browns and Shedeur Sanders remained available for the Raiders, Kiper, a veteran NFL Draft analyst for ESPN, projects that Las Vegas will instead select Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty with the sixth overall pick.
“I thought about Sanders here, especially given the link between him and minority owner Tom Brady,” Kiper said. “It’s absolutely plausible. Give it another month, and Las Vegas might even be considering trading up for him. But free agency still has to play out, and any number of available signal-callers could fit into this offense. Sam Darnold might be the answer. Justin Fields could bring upside. Russell Wilson has the Pete Carroll connection from Seattle. So right now, I’m looking at other positions here.”
The numerous veteran quarterbacks linked to the Las Vegas Raiders likely influenced Kiper’s decision to forgo a young quarterback with the sixth overall pick. He posits that Jeanty, a Heisman Trophy finalist after a remarkable season, has the potential to revitalize the Raiders’ running game.
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“Plus, look at what happened when the Raiders missed out on the QBs last year,” Kiper said. “They landed Brock Bowers, who looks like a star at tight end. Now they have the chance to add another one in Jeanty and clean up the league’s worst run game (3.6 yards per carry in 2024).
And speaking of Carroll, remember his background. He leaned on the run game in Seattle for years, and he even used a first-round pick on Rashaad Penny in 2018. Jeanty brings it all — speed, power, elusiveness, contact balance and vision. He ran for 2,601 yards this past season, and he can make a dent as a pass catcher on top of that. Las Vegas can advance the offense by getting yet another elite playmaker into the fold and looking elsewhere for a more stable QB solution.”