Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty is one of the best overall players in the 2025 NFL Draft. He is a bowling ball on his back, combining his skills to break some impressive tackles with his abilities as well as a pass catcher. Jeanty's Compact 5'9 frame gave him a low center of gravity and helped him get the most yards after contacting him in college football last season. In fact, his total yards after contact were above the second major rusher in the country.
Despite being the third player on my top 50 bigboards, there are spots where Jeanti's talent is probably not the best. So, which team is the best Doak Walker Award winner? These are some of my favorites.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders hold the sixth pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and are widely seen as Jeanty's first likely landing site. I like that calling plays mainly in Vegas is mostly appropriate for Jeanti. During the offseason, Raiders head coach Pete Carroll hired former Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly to do the same for the Raiders. Jeanty can fit the attacks of gaps or zone schemes, but when he goes downhill with a counter or duo, it's a beautiful sight to see.
The Raiders' offensive line is still on the way, but according to Sports Information Solutions, they had the ninth lowest block rate in the NFL. Young left guard Jackson Power – With Johnson and Colton Miller on the left and on the right of the still growing line, it's easy to see how Jeanty fits into this formula for a team like Vegas.
Chicago Bears
After movement surges to strengthen the offensive line, the Bears are in the best place to draft Jeanty on the 10th overall pick. Chicago traded security guards Joe Sunny and Jonah Jackson, then added Center Drew Dalman to the free agency. With head coach Ben Johnson doing the offense, it makes a lot of sense why Jeanti was the perfect fit in Chicago. D'Andre Swift… is a freestyle jazz style runner and doesn't fit perfectly with the offense Johnson currently runs in Chicago. RB Roschon Johnson is a great player, but apparently Juice doesn't have a position above a single hitter.
Jeanty's homerun ability and vision make him a real fit in Chicago, offering another weapon and a really capable run game for QB Caleb Williams.
Los Angeles Chargers
I know I had to put a Jim Harbaugh-led team on this list. Despite signing Najee Harris in the offseason, I think adding a rookie RB like Jeanty makes a lot of sense for the Charger. When as many gap schemes as the chargers deploy, the jeanty becomes much more explosive than Harris, but there is no need to carry the ball frequently. The charger still brings together the inside of the offensive line, but it makes a lot of sense with two Bookend tackles and Harbaugh designing the run game.
With the 22nd pick in the draft, the Chargers are probably not in a position to take on a guy like Jeanty. They will also add an RB later in the draft. But if Jeanti falls here, it would be a lot of fun to see Jeanti in powder blue.
Denver Broncos
Sean Payton loves to carry out his offense through the versatile back. What I think is underrated in Jeanty's game is how good the pass catcher is. He didn't do that much because of how dominant he was as a runner in 2024, but in 2023, his 3.9 yards per route was the best position in college football. The Broncos need a versatile player in that position, and the ongoing advent of QB Bo Nix could make the Broncos more explosive than what they had been running through last season. Denver placed 24th in 2024 on DVOA per FTN fantasy, and finished 24th in 2024 after contacting in the NFL in the RB-only NFL, according to SIS.
At 20, this feels like an absolute limit to where Jeanti goes, but this is perfect for the Broncos and Jeanti. Behind really good offensive lines and the best play colours in business.
Dallas Cowboys
If an explosive skill position player is available, the Cowboys must join. The current Cowboy RB rooms are Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders and Deuce Vaughn. This is another place that was generally ock-laughed for Jeanty, and it makes a lot of sense. Jeanty makes a lot of sense here as the new cowboys Oc Klayton Adams came from Arizona and many gap schemes were used in the attack. RG Zack Martin's retirement throws a temporary wrench into the thing, but how special Jeanti is as a runner and receiver, and Javonte Williams is able to spell him out for carry during the game.
