Ashton Jeanty isn’t lacking in confidence. The 2024 Heisman Trophy runner-up didn’t take long to say that he believed he should have won the prestigious award. He told reporters he deserved to “walk away” with the Heisman just moments after Travis Hunter won it. Then, earlier this week, he told NFL teams that they should “draft the guy [defenders] can’t tackle.”
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Jeanty, who ran for 2,601 yards – not a typo – in 2024, obviously isn’t lacking in many areas. His vision, contact balance, breakaway speed, and tough-nosed mindset have him ranked highly on 2025 NFL Draft boards. You’d be hard-pressed to find an analyst who believes he won’t be a top-10 pick next Thursday. He’s a virtual lock for that status. And if things break right, he won’t have to travel far to start his NFL career.
Earlier this week on NFL Live, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that “there’s momentum” around the Las Vegas Raiders selecting Jeanty with the No. 6 overall pick. Fowler stated there are “options [for the Raiders]” beyond Jeanty, but made it clear that Jeanty could be their pick. He added that Jeanty “would love to play for the Raiders” and had Las Vegas “atop his wish list.”
So, we should lock Jeanty into silver and black if he’s on the board, right? Not necessarily. Mina Kimes didn’t entirely dismiss Jeanty heading to Sin City, but she didn’t truly support the potential pick, either. She thinks general manager John Spytek would be better served by going in another direction with the No. 6 selection.
“I would not be mad if the Raiders took Ashton Jeanty. He is, I think, one of the three like blue chip players in this Draft, with [Travis] Hunter and [Abdul] Carter… [but] the Eagles offensive line isn’t coming with him… that’s all I’m thinking about… the Raiders run game was awful last year, in part, because the offensive line was not there. So… at six, you gotta consider [offensive] tackles.” – Mina Kimes
The 2025 running back class is one of the most highly touted in recent NFL history. It’s possible, if not likely, that Las Vegas could add a true starting rusher at No. 37 overall. Conversely, landing a starting-caliber offensive tackle is difficult after the first round. And Spytek should have one of the Draft’s two best OT options – Will Campbell and Armond Membou – available at No. 6.
Ryan Clark analyzes potential Ashton Jeanty-Raiders marriage
Which came first: the chicken or the egg? If the chicken is a quality offensive line and the egg is a superstar running back, it’s easier to grab an egg than corral a chicken. But over time, without chickens, you won’t have any eggs. If you don’t have a quality offensive line, your superstar running back will get hurt and/or leave town. In Saquon Barkley’s case, it was both.
As a New York Giant, Barkley frequently dealt with injuries. He played a full campaign just twice in six years there. Throughout his tenure, the Giants’ offensive line was one of the worst run-blocking units in the league. So, when he finally reached free agency, he went to Philadelphia. And with their tremendous offensive line’s assistance, he:
- Became the ninth RB in NFL history to run for 2,000 yards in a season
- Won the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year award
- Set the NFL record for single-season rushing yards (including playoffs – 2,504)
- Won the Super Bowl
Jeanty has already stated that he can replicate Barkley’s feats and impact on an organization. But Barkley’s propulsion of a franchise to the top didn’t occur until he reached a place with an established offensive line. Or, to put it another way, the egg didn’t fully develop until the chicken helped it do so. For this reason, Clark supported Kimes’ notion that Las Vegas’ focus should be on an offensive tackle.
“We saw [Saquon Barkley’s talent] and early success in New York. But as that front got worse, as that team got worse, Saquon Barkley couldn’t shine… so, if you’re the Las Vegas Raiders… if one of [those tackles is] still there, they have to be strongly considered… the special running back [should be] the last piece of the Super Bowl puzzle.” – Ryan Clark
As Kimes mentioned, nobody would fault Las Vegas for taking Jeanty at No. 6 overall. He would add even more fuel to their fanbase’s fire after what has been a fun offseason. But utilizing the No. 6 pick on a tackle, and adding a running back later, is undoubtedly a better allocation of resources. This is especially accurate if the Raiders aren’t going to retain current left tackle Kolton Miller, whose contract expires at the end of the season.
#Raiders LT Kolton Miller is not currently participating in the voluntary offseason program as he seeks a contract extension, per source.
Miller, 29, is a seven-year starter and 2026 free agent. Las Vegas has not engaged in contract talks with the former first-round pick. pic.twitter.com/wGhr8j05Jn
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 16, 2025
The Giants had an egg and no chicken for six years. They went nowhere. The Eagles had the chicken for years with no egg. They had impressive success, but no championships. When they finally found an egg, they captured the Lombardi Trophy.
Las Vegas isn’t ready to be an egg incubator as currently constructed. And that’s okay. Kimes and Clark agreed that the NFL’s best teams “build from the inside out, [starting] with the offensive line.” For the Raiders to return to the mountaintop, they should do the same. Teams win Super Bowls without running backs of Jeanty’s and/or Barkley’s stardom quite often. Without a good offensive line, though, they never get there.
