The positional value truthers will still tell the world how taking a running back in the top 10 of the NFL Draft is not a good idea. It's also fair to say the Las Vegas Raiders were not a running back away from being a good team this offseason.
But the fit between them and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty was impossible to ignore, and they indeed made him the No. 6 overall pick. Jeanty will step right into a central role in the Raiders' offense, and having an actual threat in the run game will naturally boost the entire unit.
As always, though, the possibility of a negative outcome for Jeanty as a rookie, or beyond, shouldn't be ignored in service of rampant, rose-colored glasses positivity. That being said, there is a line between offering a contrary angle and going too far with said angle.
Fantasy analyst goes too far to put negative vibe on Ashton Jeanty
On a recent episode of the Yahoo! Fantasy Forecast, Yahoo! fantasy football analysts Matt Harmon and Justin Boone talked about how this year's rookie class of running backs might be overhyped. There are the obvious general concerns about Jeanty, with the Raiders looking to be the worst team in the AFC West, what his passing game role will be and an offensive line that isn't regarded as top-notch.
Boone offset some of the potential concerns by noting that volume will be in Jeanty's favor, with Raheem Mostert and Sincere McCormick not poised to steal a lot of touches. Then Harmon took things to a different level.
"I'm making an absolutely disgusting comparison," Harmon said. "It's a disgusting comparison. But it actually should give you some hope, if even all these negative things come to pass, it actually can still work out for Ashton Jeanty as a first-round pick in fantasy football."
Then, Harmon made a proposterous comparison that would be an absolute nightmare scenario for Jeanty and Raider Nation.
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"Trent Richardson in 2012," Harmon continued. "Let's just be clear, Trent Richardson turned out to not be the player everybody hoped he is, so let's live in this pretend world where Ashton Jeanty's not the player everybody hopes he is."
Harmon noted Richardson's lackluster yards per carry as a rookie and a Cleveland Browns offense that wasn't very productive. Richardson still finished as the eighth-best running back in fantasy, though, fueled by 267 carries and 51 receptions while scoring 11 touchdowns on the ground.
The Browns traded Richardson to the Indianapolis Colts during his second season, then he played one full year for the Colts in 2014 before never playing an NFL regular season game again. He resurfaced in the CFL, the AAF and the Mexican Football League before his football playing journey was done.
Time will tell what happens with Jeanty. But to even hint at the possibility he could land alongside Richardson as one of the biggest running back busts in recent memory is a step too far.