Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty would instantly improve the Broncos running game and give Sean Payton the ‘Joker’ he has been searching for.
One player whom the Denver Broncos may strongly consider trading up for in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft is Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. He is a 5’9”, 215-pound running back who is considered the top ball carrier in the entire 2025 NFL Draft. NFL Network’s lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah has Jeanty ranked as his top running back in the draft and graded him as the third-best overall prospect in the entire 2025 NFL Draft.
Jeanty played three seasons at Boise State and is coming off an incredible year where he was a Heisman Finalist. During his three-year career with the Boise State Broncos, Jeanty totaled 750 career carries for 4,796 yards, averaging 6.4 yards per carry and scoring 50 career rushing touchdowns. He would add 80 career receptions for 862 yards and an additional 6 receiving touchdowns. This past season for the Broncos, Jeanty had 374 carries for 2,601 yards, averaging 7.0 yards per carry, 29 rushing touchdowns, and 23 receptions for 138 yards and 1 touchdown. This performance made him a Heisman finalist, but he would lose out to CB/WR Travis Hunter.
It’s hard to choose just one but this might be my favorite Ashton Jeanty run from last year because 9 different defenders have a chance to make a tackle and none can. pic.twitter.com/ILpzKQkPJ2
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) February 25, 2025
Player Profile
Ashton Jeanty | Running Back | Boise State
- Height: 5’8 1⁄2 “
- Weight: 211 pounds
- Hands: 9 1⁄4 inches
- Arm Length: 29 1⁄4 inches
- Age: 21 years old
Film Room
Scouting Report
Strengths
- Coming off a Heisman finalist season where he had elite production for Boise State
- Elite contact balance and runs with a low center of gravity
- A physical runner who will run through you if needed
- Quick burst and picks up speed as he runs
- Shows elite vision and patience to let blocks develop and pick the correct running lanes
- Bellcow back who’ll demand a high workload
- Quick and precise footwork
- Great open field speed that allows him to break off long runs and run by defenders
- Makes defenders miss in the open field and will even hurdle you if you go low on him
- A weapon as a receiver
- Soft hands, good route runner, and dangerous in space as a receiver
Weaknesses
- Had some fumbling issues in the past
- Will need to improve as a pass blocker
- Coming off a heavy workload last season, where he had nearly 400 combined touches
What other analysts are saying about Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty
NFL Network’s lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah on RB Ashton Jeanty
Jeanty is a fun player to study. He is a short, compact runner with incredible strength, balance and burst. He displays outstanding vision, tempo and feel. On inside runs, the Boise State product has a unique ability to absorb and bounce off tacklers. He has quick feet and never stops driving on contact, leading to some miraculous escapes and home runs. He is rarely — if ever — tackled when presented with one-on-one situations at the second level, exhibiting the capacity to run through defenders, make them miss or just burst by them. He isn’t polished as a route runner, but he has reliable hands and can create in space after the catch. He can identify, absorb and wall off in pass pro. He needs to improve his ball security, having fumbled nine times over the past two seasons. Overall, Jeanty might lack ideal size, but he’s a mixture of Dalvin Cook and J.K. Dobbins as a runner.
NFL.com’s draft analyst Lance Zierlein on RB Ashton Jeanty
Jeanty plays a position that has become devalued on draft day, but his unique talent and the resurgence of the run game in the NFL should force teams to reconsider that factor when weighing his value. He’s the ultimate yardage creator, with the talent and skill set to succeed independent of the quality of his blocking. Jeanty’s speed forces linebackers to flow hard outside, creating cutback lanes and chunk runs, while his vision, balance and elusiveness get it done along the interior. The threat of what he can do on the ground should create ideal play-action opportunities for his team, allowing his next play-caller to, say, unburden a young quarterback or any other passer being asked to shoulder too much of the offense. He’s compact and muscular, but there could be some minor concern surrounding his massive workload in 2024. This top-flight running back is capable of becoming the face of an offense in a league where the pendulum might be swinging back to the running game. Jeanty has future All-Pro talent.
Final Thoughts
It’s not happening. Ashton Jeanty will not be drafted by the Denver Broncos.
He’s an elite talent that will not make it out of the top 10 of the draft and could go as early as 4th overall to the Patriots, 6th overall to the Raiders, and likely would not make it past the Bears at 10th overall.
The only way it could happen is if he somehow slips past both the Patriots and Raiders and is there at 9th overall. Would the Broncos give up premium picks to get Jeanty? It’s possible, but probably unlikely and not realistic. It’s a loaded draft class, and giving up premium picks in this draft AND in next year’s draft for a running back wouldn’t be ideal. I’ve been wrong before, but it doesn’t seem realistic at this point and time.
If the Broncos somehow were able to trade up for Jeanty, he would be an excellent and game-changing addition to the Broncos’ offense. He would give them an elite talent at running back who could push to be an All-Pro his rookie year. This would make life easier for quarterback Bo Nix and make the Broncos’ offense even more dynamic than it was late in the year last season.
It’s fun to dream about, but barring something unforeseen happening, it’s not happening. Wouldn’t be upset if I was completely off base though.