Raiders GM John Spytek suggests Ashton Jeanty’s skillset may mirror that of Eagles’ Saquon Barkley

The Raiders GM is willing to take a RB at No. 6 because Ashton Jeanty is a top 2025 prospect.

Raiders GM John Spytek suggests Ashton Jeanty’s skillset may mirror that of Eagles’ Saquon Barkley

(L) Ashton Jeanty, (R) Saquon Barkley and John Spytek in circle (Image via IMAGO/X)

Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek’s drafting history suggests that he rarely goes for a running back in the first round, let alone in the top 10. However, this could all change if he drafts Ashton Jeanty.

The Boise State rusher set every football team on high alert after finishing the 2024 season with 2,601 rushing yards—just 28 yards shy of Pro Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders‘ 1988 NCAA record.

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The Raiders finished last season with a 4-13 record. They had the 12th-highest rushing average but scored the third-fewest touchdowns (19) on the ground.

Even though the Raiders require quality additions in every field, passing on an Ashton Jeanty may be harder than it seems, especially when he has drawn comparisons with the 2024-25 NFL season’s Offensive Player of the Year, Philadelphia Eagles Saquon Barkley.

During Friday’s press conference at the Raiders’ facility, The Athletic’s Tashan Reed questioned John Spytek if the Raiders would select Ashton Jeanty in the top 10. Head coach Pete Carroll, who was sitting right next to Spytek, murmured in his ear to be cautious while answering the question.

We just saw Saquon Barkley just change the Eagles in one year. Now they had a great team around him, and it was adding an elite player. I think when you sit where we sit, the idea is to add elite players at any position. I don’t try to devalue any certain position.

John Spytek said

Jeanty was among the only four to crack the 90+ score (elite/blue chip) in the NFL Next Gen’s draft prospect. The NFL.com crowned Jeanty as the 2025 NFL draft’s highest-graded prospect with 7.15, which puts him in serial Pro Bowler territory.

Ashton Jeanty is a good fit for the Las Vegas Raiders

Spytek isn’t a believer in devaluing any position. The purpose of the draft is to select the best player for the team to build a roster to challenge for the Super Bowl.

Raiders GM John Spytek suggests Ashton Jeanty's skill Set may mirror that Eagles Saquon Barkley
Ashton Jeanty (Image via SI)

Jeanty might be a raw talent, but he is the brightest talent (other than Colorado’s Travis Hunter) whom a team can just slot in and forget about it. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that Jeanty could be the answer at running back the Raiders are looking for. Spytek’s son definitely knows it.

My oldest son has made it no secret that if we don’t pick Ashton Jeanty at six, he’s walking out of the family and he’s gonna find somebody else, probably whoever takes Ashton. Jack is motivated by fantasy football and touchdowns.

John Spytek said on SiriusXM Radio

Jack urged GM Daddy to draft Ashton Jeanty to fill the void left by Josh Jacobs, who left after the previous management refused to give him a big contract.

Jeanty’s experience with the Raiders

Teams bring in potential draft candidates on pre-draft visits to show off their plans and ideas, aside from evaluating the player’s understanding of the playbook. Jeanty visited the Raiders earlier this month. The 21-year-old praised the Tom Brady-run franchise.

[The Raiders are a] great organization… They got a few [elite] pieces [in the roster]. I know they could use a running back. They got that nice pick No. 6 [draft pick], so, we’ll see what happens. But it’s been great meeting with them, meeting with their running backs coach. It’s cool that he came all this way to meet with me.

Ashton Jeanty said

The recent history is in the Raiders’ favor. Jacobs was the last running back they selected in the first round (24th overall pick in 2019). The Alabama graduate went on to produce three 1000+ yard seasons in Vegas. He was in top form in 2022, leading the league with 1653 yards on the ground for 12 rushing touchdowns.

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