Ashton Jeanty unveils ex-Raider Marshawn Lynch’s golden rules for aspiring NFL RBs

To prepare himself for the NFL environment, Ashton Jeanty spoke with Raiders great Marshawn Lynch for tips.

Ashton Jeanty unveils ex-Raider Marshawn Lynch’s golden rules for aspiring NFL RBs

Ashton Jeanty (Image via IMAGO)

The Las Vegas Raiders are among the favorites to draft Ashton Jeanty to fix their running back problem. He is looking forward to taking the next step. Who better to receive tips from than the ‘Beast Mode’ himself, Marshawn Lynch?

Jeanty slowly started to creep into every scout’s wish list during his second year at Boise State. However, he went nuclear in his final year, recording 2601 rushing yards from 374 attempts and 29 rushing touchdowns.

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Several mock drafts projected that Jeanty would be the first running back selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. During a recent appearance on the Rich Eisen Show, Jeanty spoke about receiving guidance from ex-star rusher Marshawn Lynch. Lynch told Jeanty to ‘stay focused’ and ‘grind’ as hard as possible.

You just saying, like, I’m, I’m, I’m the one. I’m one of the ones like, I’m next up. So it’s just great to hear that from [Marshawn] know, somebody I grew up watching play.

Ashton Jeanty said

The Raiders must have picked up on some of the mock drafts comparing Jeanty with Lynch. Their build and explosive running style are hard to overlook.

Jeanty’s speed forces defenses wide, creating massive cutback lanes. He’s compact, muscular, and a game-changer in both inside and outside runs.

CBS Sports’ Garrett Podell notes

Jeanty, a Dallas native, finished second in the 2024-25 Heisman Trophy voting, behind Colorado’s Travis Hunter.

Ashton Jeanty is basically Marshawn Lynch 2.0

The Raiders went through an overhaul during the offseason. They brought in experienced head coach Pete Carroll to manage the club. Lynch was very excited to see Carroll back in the NFL.

Ashton Jeanty unveils ex-Raider Marshawn Lynch's golden rules for aspiring NFL RBs
Ashton Jeanty (Image via IMAGO)

Lynch won a Super Bowl ring under Carroll when he was coaching the Seattle Seahawks. Later, the 38-year-old spent one year with the Raiders when they were still in Oakland instead of Vegas.

One of the first guys I watched really closely was Marshawn Lynch because I just liked how hard he ran and the physical style… Those crazy runs, breaking all those tackles.

Ashton Jeanty said about Lynch

Lynch may be the benchmark, but Jeanty also picked up bits and pieces from watching tapes of other running backs as well.

[I mean] catching the ball out of the backfield. Lining up as a receiver—catching it [like] Alvin Kamara. You talk about using that stiff arm, right? I look at Derrick Henry for that a lot.

Ashton Jeanty said via Bleacher Report

Jeanty had healthy receiving numbers in college as well. In three years, he caught 80 passes for 862 yards and scored 6 receiving touchdowns.

The Raiders need a running back. They were at the bottom of the league for average rushing yards in a game and scored fewer touchdowns (19) than the likes of the Carolina Panthers (22) and the Chicago Bears (20).

Josh Jacobs left to play for the Green Bay Packers after mutually agreeing to part ways following contract disputes. Second-choice RB Ameer Abdullah shared snaps with new signing Alexander Mattison. They combined for 198 rushing attempts for 731 rushing yards and 6 combined touchdowns.

It’s not [a] surprise to me that I’m mocked to go there [at 6, to Las Vegas], being that their recent hires and Pete Carroll, we know his coaching style, we know he likes to run the ball, likes a great running back… [I think] I’d be a great fit as a person and player. It’s been great conversations with them and getting to know them as well. Look forward to seeing what’s gonna happen on the 24th[of April].

Ashton Jeanty said

Jeanty has met with other franchises since January. According to reports, brass from the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos have evaluated Jeanty quite a bit. His hometown team, the Dallas Cowboys, also contacted him during the NFL Combine in March.

Jeanty has previously said that he would love to stay in Dallas and play for the Cowboys. However, Jeanty needs to fall to the 12th for the Cowboys to select him, or the Cowboys must trade up with a team ahead of them.