The Las Vegas Raiders selected running back Ashton Jeanty sixth overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, the highest a back has been taken since Saquon Barkley was drafted second overall in 2018. With the Raiders bringing in Pete Carroll as head coach, who loves to run the ball, many are expecting a big rookie season for Jeanty.
However, former three-time All-Pro running back Maurice Jones-Drew believes rookie Omarion Hampton of the Los Angeles Chargers will have an even better year. In his running back rankings on NFL.com, Jones-Drew ranked Hampton 13th, ahead of Jeanty, who was 17th, and explained why he is higher on Hampton going into this year:
Some of you might be surprised to see Hampton ranked higher than No. 6 overall pick Ashton Jeanty, based on their respective standings in my pre-draft RB rankings, but hear me out. Hampton joins a Jim Harbaugh-led offense that loves to the run the ball, so there will be plenty of touches to go around. He should be the bell cow for this unit — with veteran Najee Harris in the backup role — thanks to his patience and ability to bounce off defenders. Hampton is in the perfect situation to find early success, and while you could say similar things about Jeanty, Pete Carroll’s recent comments (which I’ll get to in a minute) swayed my opinion some.
It seems as if Jones-Drew views Hampton’s situation with the Chargers under Jim Harbaugh in a run-first offense as better than that of Jeanty. However, when he got down to Jeanty at 17th in his rankings, Jones-Drew echoed many of the same things that have him high on Hampton:
I can’t wait to watch Jeanty take his first NFL snap. The No. 6 overall pick in this year’s draft is tough to tackle and should fit perfectly in an attack that wants to bully opponents under Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly. Carroll said last month that the offense won’t rely on just one back in the ground game, but it’s hard to envision the Raiders consistently looking to Raheem Mostert, Zamir White or Sincere McCormick when they have a talent like Jeanty on the roster.
While it is true that Carroll has said that he plans on a committee approach, as Jones-Drew noted, Jeanty’s talent should have him head and shoulders above the other backs in the Raiders’ backfield. And like Hampton, Jeanty is coming in under a coach that prioritizes running the ball.
Who will wind up having the better rookie season will be found out, but Jeanty could certainly use this as some extra motivation going into his debut season with the Raiders.
Raiders rookie Ashton Jeanty names Saquon Barkley as favorite current running back
Most would consider Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley as the best running back in the NFL today, and Raiders rookie Ashton Jeanty likewise views him as his favorite in the league today.
The post Raiders News: Maurice Jones-Drew Ranks Omarion Hampton Above Ashton Jeanty As Top Rookie RB appeared first on Raiders Newswire.