By the time the 2025 NFL Draft rolled around, few prospects had stirred up more buzz than Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty. After all, it’s hard not to be the center of attention when you’ve just delivered one of the most dominant seasons in college football history with 2,497 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns while leading your team to a Mountain West title and a College Football Playoff berth.
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Naturally, the Las Vegas Raiders were linked to Jeanty throughout the draft process because of their pressing need for the Running Back position. So unsurprisingly, they didn’t flinch when their pick came around at No. 6 overall and they exercised their right to pick Jeanty with it.
But it wasn’t just Ashton Jeanty being the best RB available in the 2025 Draft class that made many think he is Las Vegas bound. It was also due to Raiders general manager, John Spytek’s son.
For those out of the loop, Spytek found himself at the heart of an unexpected story after revealing in a SiriusXM interview that his 10-year-old son had some strong feelings about the team’s draft plans.
“My oldest son made it very clear that he was walking out of the family if we didn’t draft Ashton Jeanty,” Spytek joked at the time.
As is the case with the internet, netizens had a field day with that statement, as it went viral, with many taking it as a lighthearted anecdote, but also wondering just how much the younger Spytek’s wishes played into the pick.
Fast forward to draft night, and the Raiders indeed selected Ashton Jeanty at No. 6. But Spytek, in his latest conversation with Ari Meirov, decided to finally set the record straight about any supposed family pressure.
“I just want to be clear to everybody listening, we did not pick Ashton Jeanty because of Jack Spytek,” he clarified, putting the narrative to rest. “That was just a fun anecdote to it.”
Instead, Spytek pointed to what the Raiders saw in Jeanty from a football perspective, starting with his character.
“Ashton’s an incredible competitor, and I would describe him as a humble superstar,” Spytek said, recalling how he was just as impressed watching Jeanty interact with people at Boise State’s pro day as he was by his on-field drills.
From there, it was all about the tape. The Raiders GM praised Jeanty’s elite feet, vision, and rare ability to make defenders miss in the open field. He even mentioned how impressed he was with the Boise State RB for finishing just 31 yards shy of Barry Sanders’ legendary single-season rushing mark.
So with his combination of production, physicality, and high character, Ashton Jeanty simply “made a lot of sense” for the Raiders, according to Spytek.
And frankly, when you look at the Boise State RB’s 2024 résumé — leading the nation in rushing, breaking school records, and winning multiple awards — it’s clear that no parental persuasion was necessary. Because drafting Ashton Jeanty was simply a no-brainer.
