Ashton Jeanty Hyped as 'Perfect Player' for Raiders by GM Spytek amid 2025 NFL Draft

Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek heralded running back Ashton Jeanty and his fit with the organization after selecting him sixth overall in the 2025 NFL draft on Thursday night.

Speaking to reporters after the pick was made, Spytek called Jeanty "the perfect player" for the Raiders and the offensive system head coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly plan to run.

Spytek also called Jeanty a "foundational piece," and Carroll went on to further explain what he believes Jeanty brings to the table, saying:

"There's a lot of things to talk about, but one of the things is he was hard to tackle. I mean, guys couldn't get him on the ground. ... That skill to make people miss and to bounce off tackles and to use the force of the tacklers, he had marvelous talent in that regard.

"I think the word is dynamic for us. He has the ability to do all of it. He can run with power. He can run in short yardage areas and find the spacing that he needs to make the plays, and he's got that marvelous ability, just on any play, he can score, and that's just such an exciting aspect to add to our football team. We just feel very fortunate."

Jeanty is coming off one of the greatest seasons by a running back in FBS college football history, as he rushed for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns on 374 carries en route to finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting.

The Raiders entered the draft with a clear and obvious need at running back after finishing last in the NFL last season with 79.8 rushing yards per game.

Las Vegas added veteran Raheem Mostert to a running back room that already included Sincere McCormick, Zamir White and Dylan Laube, but a surefire starter was badly needed.

Jeanty is precisely that and possibly much more, as he could be the centerpiece of the Raiders' offense as soon as his rookie season.

The Raiders also added veteran quarterback Geno Smith in an offseason trade with the Seattle Seahawks, and pairing him with Jeanty and star tight end Brock Bowers gives the Las Vegas offense a far more dynamic element than it has had in recent years.