Will Jaguars Draft Ashton Jeanty? More RB Draft Predictions

The 2025 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday night at Lambeau Field, and one of the most intriguing storylines to watch is the deep running back class. Leading the way is Ashton Jeanty, who looks like he is a surefire top 10 pick heading into draft night, — according to the latest draft rumors.

Behind him, there’s a stacked class of versatile running back prospects, right at a time where the position is making a major comeback in the NFL. Could we see multiple RBs go in the first round in 2025? Our mock draft projects two RBs to go off the board on Thursday.

With PrizePicks’ free-to-play Draft game, you can make More or Less picks on Jeanty’s draft position (projected at 6.5) or other moments from the Draft, like how long Roger Goodell will be booed at the start of the Draft.

Hit your three free Draft picks, and you’ll win a cut of $500,000 in Free Lineups. Just lock in your picks before The Draft begins on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.

Will the Jaguars Draft Ashton Jeanty?

Leading up to the NFL Draft, it seemed like Ashton Jeanty would be a Raider, as every draft expert had him going with the seventh pick. But we might have a late contender for Jeanty — the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Insiders are saying Jacksonville at pick five are focused on drafting an offensive piece, and Jeanty “is the missing piece of the offense.” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said the Jaguars are prioritizing an offensive playmaker with their pick. 

Jeanty makes sense for a lot of reasons. The Jaguars were not happy with what they had at running back last year, as their former first-round RB Travis Etienne was getting less carries as the season progressed. 

In PrizePicks’ free-to-play Draft game with $500,000 in rewards, Jeanty’s draft spot projection is set at 6.5. You can pick More or Less on Jeanty’s draft pick projection as part of your free 3-Pick Draft Lineup.

Could the Raiders Trade Up for Jeanty?

Does this mean the Raiders will let Jeanty slip away and go with an alternative, or will they get aggressive and trade up? They could be one of the teams calling the Giants (No. 3 pick) and Browns (No. 2 pick) about their picks, though it seems unlikely that such an early pick will be moved. 

As of Wednesday night, Jeanty looks like he’s likely to become a Jaguar. If that’s the case, Less on Jeanty draft position at 6.5 could be the move on PrizePicks.

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Will the Running Back Resurgence Continue?

The importance of the running back position was diminished for a long time, as teams stopped emphasizing finding a dominant three-down back. That was also reflected in some of the contracts that running backs got, like Josh Jacobs’ four-year $48 million deal, and Christian McCaffrey’s two-year, $38 million deal.

There’s no better example than what Eagles RB Saquon Barkley did last season: 2,005 rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns, and he was an MVP candidate.

The RB resurgence has also been reflected in recent NFL Drafts. In 2023, we saw two running backs go in the top 12 picks (Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs), and it paid off for those teams, as Robinson and Gibbs have become two premier players at their position. 

This draft has a great group of RB prospects, including Jeanty and North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton, who we have projected to go in the first round. 

After Jeanty and Hampton, What Running Backs are Next?

Jeanty and Hampton are the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked running backs, but there doesn’t seem to be a consensus for the other backs, in what’s an incredibly deep class for running backs.

Other top RB prospects who could be contributors from day one include:

• Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson
• Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson 
• Ohio State RB Quinshon Judkins
• Tennessee RB Dylan Sampson
• Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo

And those are just some of the names that could be called. 

No two draft boards seem to agree on the order of these backs, which could make Day 2 one of the most unpredictable stretches of the Draft after Jeanty comes off the board.

Among the teams that need to upgrade their running back rooms are the Browns, Giants, Raiders, Bears, Broncos, Chargers, and Cowboys. All could look to pick up a RB in Round 1, or wait to see who falls to them later.

Make Draft Predictions, Win Prizes on PrizePicks

Ashton Jeanty’s landing spot could shake up the top 10 and set the tone for the rest of the running back class. It seems unlikely that Jeanty will drop past the Raiders at seventh overall — if he even makes it to pick seven.

Think you know how the Draft will unfold? Make your picks in PrizePicks’ free-to-play Draft game and win real rewards if you hit — no cost, just a shot at $500,000 in Free Lineups. 

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