Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty is one of the top prospects available in the 2025 NFL Draft. But just how good could he be in the NFL?
Well, in a piece published Friday, ESPN draft expert Matt Miller compared Jeanty to New Orleans Saints star Alvin Kamara.
“Jeanty’s 2024 stats were legendary,” Miller wrote. “He finished the season with 2,601 yards rushing (only 27 behind Barry Sanders for the most in a single season) and scored 29 touchdowns while accumulating 1,733 yards after first contact.
“The 5-foot-9, 211-pound Jeanty is a punishing runner with patience, vision and runaway speed, and he can also catch passes out of the backfield and stand up to pass rushers while in pass protection. The Heisman runner-up is a rare, true blue-chip running back prospect.”
So, could Jeanty be an option for the Saints with the ninth-overall pick?
In an era when teams don’t like committing major resources to running backs, Jeanty could slip toward the bottom of the top 10, if not out of it entirely. Moreover, Kamara has just two years left on his contract and could be released next offseason for a net cap loss of just $1.5 million or traded for net savings of $4.5 million.
If New Orleans wants to plan for the future at running back while adding legitimate star power to its offense, it could do much worse than draft Jeanty.
Still, it’s hard to argue against the Saints using their first-round pick on something other than a quarterback or top defensive prospect.
