The Raiders are probably taking Ashton Jeanty on Thursday night. The two have been on a collision course ever since the Raiders hired Pete Carroll and John Spytek, and just about anyone who's at least a little plugged into the league in a professional capacity has reported that they're probably taking him at six.
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But what if they didn't? And not just because, like, he went to the Jaguars one pick before the Raiders. What if the Raiders just decided they didn't want to? That'd be interesting, right? And definitely isn't just a contrarian opinion used to create some last-minute draft content in the final week? That's what Bleacher Report is trying to convince everyone about in their latest list of draft prospects that each team MUST avoid this weekend.
The argument kinda goes like this: they shouldn't draft him because he's a running back. You're welcome to keep scrolling if you'd like a more detailed breakdown, but that's the gist of it.
B/R thinks the Raiders should avoid drafting Ashton Jeanty for ... reasons?
"Jeanty may be a beast of a runner, but the team should quake at the idea of spending the sixth overall pick on the position. Anyone can guarantee with 100 percent certainty that this year's group of running backs will produce multiple productive runners at the NFL level. A team doesn't need to spend its most valuable asset to fill the position, not when other needs areas could be addressed with similarly-graded talents. For example, Bleacher Report has Jeanty graded as the sixth overall prospect. However, the Raiders could invest in a premium position with a prospect like cornerback Will Johnson or offensive tackle Armand Membou and still get similar value. Las Vegas can then land a starting-caliber running back option on Day 2."
"We have Jeanty ranked as the 6th best player but the Raiders can get someone just as good 50 picks later" is certainly one way to argue your point. I get the whole bit about how it may be a dice roll to use your best pick on a running back, but I thought we had kinda moved past the whole 'running backs don't matter' routine by now? And it's not like Jeanty's just another running back prospect – if he's not technically considered a generational prospect, he's about as close to one as a guy can get. And with all due respect to Raheem Mostert, the Raiders could use a generational running back.
Now we know: B/R is firmly on the 'team-need' side of the Great Draft Argument. It'll be fascinating to see whether Carroll and Spytek join them.