Ashton Jeanty Compared to LaDainian Tomlinson, Maurice Jones-Drew by Scouts, Coaches

NFL talent evaluators are reportedly speaking quite highly of Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty ahead of the 2025 NFL draft.

According to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, NFL scouts and coaches have compared Jeanty to some excellent running backs from the past, including LaDainian Tomlinson and Maurice Jones-Drew.

Jeanty, 21, is coming off one of the greatest collegiate running back seasons of all time, as he willed Boise State into the College Football Playoff.

The 5'9", 215-pound running back rushed for a nation-high 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns on 374 carries. He also caught 23 passes for 138 yards and a score.

Jeanty won the Doak Walker Award as the best running back in the nation and the Maxwell Award as the best all-around player in the country. He finished second to Colorado's Travis Hunter in the Heisman Trophy voting.

The team that selects Jeanty in the 2025 NFL draft would undoubtedly be thrilled if he turns out anything like Tomlinson, who is among the greatest running backs in league history.

During an 11-year career with the San Diego Chargers and New York Jets, Tomlinson was a five-time Pro Bowler, three-time first-team All-Pro and one-time NFL MVP.

LT racked up 13,684 yards and 145 touchdowns on the ground, and he was also a huge threat in the passing game, reeling in 624 receptions for 4,772 yards and 17 scores.

Tomlinson is second in NFL history in career rushing touchdowns, and he was perhaps the best pass-catching running back of his era as well.

Jeanty rushed for 50 touchdowns in his three collegiate seasons, and although he wasn't a big-time receiver last season, he caught 43 passes for 569 yards and five touchdowns in 2023. That speaks to his well-roundedness.

Jones-Drew doesn't have quite the same body of work as Tomlinson, but he was great in his own right, rushing for 8,167 yards and 68 touchdowns and catching 346 passes for 2,944 yards and 11 scores over nine seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders.

MJD was a three-time Pro Bowler and one-time first-team All-Pro. He was often referred to as "bowling ball-like" in his running style since he packed so much power into his 5'7", 210-pound frame.

The running back position is not valued as much in the NFL now as it was during the 2000s and prior, but the tide may be turning a bit after the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl this past season on the back of Saquon Barkley and his 2,000-yard rushing season.

Because of that, some team might select Jeanty with a first-round pick. If that happens, he could instantly become the focal point of that team's offense.