After months of speculation, the 2025 NFL Draft saw the Las Vegas Raiders stay right where they were at with the no. 6 overall pick.
All throughout draft day, there were continued whispers about a lot of movement in the first round -- and there was, early on -- but the Raiders were not part of it.
Instead of making a move up or down, the Raiders stuck to their strategy and went with the best player available with the sixth overall pick.
Vegas came away with the best running back in the draft, Ashton Jeanty out of Boise State.
Pete Carroll gets his new Marshawn Lynch in Ashton Jeanty
Jeanty has gotten a lot of comparisons since bursting onto the scene, but none have been better than an old friend of Pete Carroll: Marshawn Lynch.
"Beast Mode" was one of a kind, and so is Jeanty. The reckless abandonment he runs with is second to none in this draft class, and it's one of the many reasons that makes him the clear-cut no. 1 back in the draft.
Jeanty's explosiveness and physical run style is so clearly reminiscent of Lynch, but what he brings to the table might make him even better in time. Jeanty might be even more elusive than Lynch, offering that "cut on a dime" type of agility.
it didn't take long for the Raiders to revamp their offense, this offseason, with the likes of Geno Smith coming in and reuniting with Carroll. Now, Smith has a shiny, new toy in the draft's best running back.
Make no mistake, the Raiders needed a player like Jeanty. This is an offense that's been starving for star power (no, Davante Adams doesn't count). Las Vegas needed a star like Jeanty, and that's exactly who they got at the end of the night.