Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report recently graded every 2025 first-round draft pick, including Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Ashton Jeanty.
Jeanty received an ‘A-’ grade through the first four weeks of the season. The grade comes off the back of a three-touchdown performance against the Chicago Bears in Week 4. He totaled 155 yards from scrimmage, 138 of which came on the ground.
Jeanty broke free for a 64-yard touchdown run in the game, displaying his downhill ability and his strength in shedding tacklers. Despite the loss, Raiders fans were happy to finally see the breakout of Jeanty, who hadn’t recorded any eye-opening stats through the first three weeks. He was selected by Las Vegas No. 6 overall after putting up video game numbers in college, leading Boise State to the College Football Playoff last winter. Now, he is starting to bring those numbers into the professional game.
Before Week 4, Jeanty had rushed for over 50 yards just once. This is more of a testament to how poor the offensive line has been in the ground game. One statistic says it all – through the first three weeks, the 21-year-old had more rushing yards after contact than he did total rushing yards. Finally, in Week 4, he was able to put his talents on display, jumping all over the Chicago defense and putting NFL fans back on notice after talks that he wasn’t the best rookie running back.
The division rival Los Angeles Chargers' rookie running back Omarion Hampton also received an ‘A-’ grade from Gagnon, only adding fuel to the heated discussions of which rookie has been better in their first few games. After Jeanty’s 138-yard game, he now leads rookies in rushing yards through the first four weeks.
The former Boise State Bronco was named the Week 4 FedEx Ground Player of the Week. He led the league in rushing yards in a week that five running backs reached 100+ yards. Jeanty isn’t satisfied, however, as the Raiders still lost 25-24 to the Bears.
“Feels alright, I guess. To me, it’s all about winning, not personal performance,” Jeanty told reporters after the game. “I’m more about winning and putting W’s on the stat sheet than my own stats.”
Jeanty and the Raiders look ahead to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5, a team that has surprised many with a 3-1 record. The Raiders have their work cut out for them, but another big game from Jeanty could be exactly what they need to avoid a record of 1-4.