The Las Vegas Raiders took arguably the most exciting player in the 2025 NFL Draft when they selected Ashton Jeanty out of Boise State with the sixth overall pick.
Jeanty was by far and away the best running back in college football last season, routinely breaking off huge plays on the ground and finding himself in the end zone more often than not. Jeanty is the perfect modern running back as he’s stout, fast, explosive and has a knack for making defenders miss.
The Raiders desperately needed to overhaul their backfield after a disappointing 2024 season, so grabbing Jeanty made a lot of sense even though most teams have shied away from taking running backs so high in the draft. However, Jeanty’s pro debut in the team’s preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks didn’t go quite according to plan as he took his three carries for negative one yard.
After the game, Seattle trolled Jeanty by highlighting fellow Boise State running back George Holani via the Seahawks’ official X account:
Some people are saying @GeorgeHolani is the best RB out of Boise State.
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) August 8, 2025
While Jeanty struggled to get any traction against the Seahawks, Holani took full advantage of his opportunities as his seven carries resulted in 61 yards and a touchdown. He also came down with one reception that he took for another 20 yards.
It was disappointing to see Jeanty fail to break off a long play, and while Holani’s performance might cause some concern among Raiders fans it’s important to remember that it’s far too early to draw any real conclusions. Jeanty will have plenty of opportunities to prove he was worthy of being selected so high and there should be little doubt he’ll find success his rookie year.
Ashton Jeanty names Saquon Barkley as current favorite NFL running back
Saquon Barkley almost single-handedly proved that running backs are still valuable in the NFL as he helped lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl championship over the Kansas City Chiefs. Ashton Jeanty is hoping to follow in Barkley’s footsteps as he named him his current favorite running back in the NFL.
Like Barkley, Jeanty is an explosive runner who can shed tackles and hit the home run play. While head coach Pete Carroll has said he’d like to go with a committee in the backfield, Jeanty should still see the majority of the work so long as he stays healthy.
The post Seahawks Troll Raiders Rookie RB Ashton Jeanty appeared first on Raiders Newswire.