The running back position has enjoyed a renaissance over the past year. Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs completely changed the narrative surrounding the position in 2025, but after these players, there is a bit of a dropoff.
Enter Ashton Jeanty, the most exciting running back prospect from the 2025 NFL Draft. The Las Vegas Raiders jumped on the opportunity to select him after he ran for 2,601 yards at Boise State last season, 1,970 of which came after contact.
Unfortunately, it will be several months until Raider Nation can watch Jeanty in uniform. This means that it is the time of year between OTAs and training camp when there is not much else to do but create hypothetical scenarios and pour out positional rankings.
PFF disrespects Ashton Jeanty in running back rankings
Pro Football Focus' Trevor Sikkema recently released his list of the NFL's best running backs heading into the 2025 season. He decided that proven production at the professional level weighed heavier than high projections, and ranked Jeanty No. 13 in the league.
"Only four running backs in the PFF era have earned elite PFF rushing grades as rookies: Adrian Peterson (2007), Alfred Morris (2012), De'Von Achane (2023) and Bucky Irving (2024)," Sikkema wrote. "Jeanty could very well be the fifth, and the third in a row. In 2024, he set PFF college records with a 96.6 PFF rushing grade, 1,970 yards after contact and 152 missed tackles forced."
This is certainly a low ranking for Jeanty, who is not only immensely talented, but will be paired with Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly, both of whom have had tremendous success running the ball in the NFL. Sikkema even admitted that Jeanty put up the highest rushing grades in the company's history, but he chose not to place him in the top 10.
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While Jeanty's ranking does make him the top running back in the division, it also puts him behind the likes of James Connor and Kyren Williams. While they are both solid veterans, expecting them to be better than Jeanty, who will be the focal point of the Raiders' offense, seems like a misjudgment.
Pounding the rock will also be a major priority for this Las Vegas team. The additions of Geno Smith, Jack Bech, and Dont'e Thornton to an offense that already has Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers will make it difficult for opposing defenses to stack the box and shut down the run. Jeanty is also a former high school receiver, so he is a very capable pass-catcher as well.
PFF is a respectable source, and the Raiders have not put a reliable product on the field over the last few years. However, this ranking is likely to age poorly, as all the ingredients are in place for Jeanty to soar to the top five of this list as a rookie.