Ashton Jeanty has drawn several interesting comparisons, but NFL Draft expert Todd McShay’s is the most interesting. A consensus top running back in his class, Jeanty is widely considered a top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft class.
The 2024 Heisman Trophy runner-up ran for 2,601 yards with 29 touchdowns on 374 carries, the highest rushing yards and touchdowns in FBS. It is natural for the teams to chase Jeanty and lock him in as early as possible.
Alvin Kamara 2.0? Jeanty Drawing Elite Comparisons Ahead of 2025 NFL Draft
Jeanty is a versatile receiver and runner with exceptional contact balance, perfectly matching his explosive power to sweep past defenders and his top-notch speed. Todd McShay saw all these qualities in a specific NFL player’s college tape, where his performance looked uncannily identical to Jeanty.
“Alvin Kamara, Saints: I can’t unsee this comparison, especially after I rewatched Kamara’s college tape from Tennessee,” McShay explains.
However, the NFL analyst pointed out that Jeanty doesn’t carry the big question mark on his character like Kamara did in the 2017 NFL Draft.
“NFL teams had concerns about Kamara’s character entering the 2017 draft, so he fell to the third round. Otherwise, he’d have been a top-20 pick. There are no such concerns about Jeanty.”
“Their running style is the second-most identical thing after their suddenness in explosive plays. They create in tight quarters, through contact, and are both deadly in space,” McShay explains, emphasizing their shared trait of vision and awareness.
All these qualities make him the prospect to drool over for an NFL team in dire need of a running back. The Las Vegas Raiders is one of the NFL teams with the highest pick among other running back-needy teams in the 2025 NFL Draft.
PFSN’s latest NFL Mock Draft projects Jeanty to go to the Raiders at No. 6. Adding Jeanty to their roster has massive potential for the Raiders’ success, as the franchise has struggled heavily with run game consistency.
Given his 5’8 1/2-inch frame and 211-pound weight, Jeanty would be the perfect “workhorse back” to steady the Raiders’ running game. However, given the resurgence Jeanty is bringing to the otherwise downplayed running back position in the 2025 NFL Draft, it would be no wonder if other teams trade up for him.
The Bears, the Cowboys, and the Broncos are the top teams equally desperate to draft a generational running back. Either of these could shuffle the draft order to draft Jeanty.