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NFL mock drafts: Who will select Heisman Trophy candidate Ashton Jeanty in 2025 NFL Draft?

Dallas Cowboys are widely expected to consider Jeanty in the first round 

Bob Lundeberg

Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty.
Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty. / Brian Losness-Imagn Images

Boise State junior running back Ashton Jeanty is having a season for the ages as the Broncos chase a College Football Playoff berth.

After nine games, Jeanty leads the nation in rushing yards (1,734) and rushing touchdowns (23). The 5-foot-9, 215-pound Heisman Trophy candidate still has a chance to run down Barry Sanders’ NCAA Division I single-season records of 2,628 yards and 37 touchdowns.

No. 13 Boise State (8-1, 5-0 Mountain West Conference) has three games remaining in the regular season: San Jose State, Wyoming and Oregon State. The Broncos are in the driver’s seat to secure a spot in the Mountain West Football Championship and contend for a bid to the 12-team College Football Playoff.

Jeanty is widely expected to be an early selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. Several mock drafts have the Dallas Cowboys selecting Jeanty midway through the first round.  

The Cowboys have a long history with former Boise State standouts. DeMarcus Lawrence, Leighton Vander Esch and Kellen Moore all went from the Blue to Jerry World. 

No running backs were taken in the first round of last year’s draft. Texas’ Jonathon Brooks was the first running back to come off the board, going in the second round (No. 46 overall) to the Carolina Panthers. 

In 2023, two running backs were selected in the first round: Texas’ Bijan Robinson (No. 8, Atlanta Falcons) and Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs (No. 12, Detroit Lions).

Below is a collection of opinions from draft experts on where Jeanty will land. 

Note: The NFL Draft order is determined by the reverse order of finish in the previous season. All draft positions listed are also projections. 

1. Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports: No. 11 to Dallas Cowboys

Rationale: “No way Jerry Jones can resist the temptation of adding a premier running back prospect to this Cowboys team.”

2. Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA Today: No. 11 to Dallas Cowboys

Rationale: “After attending high school in the same town – Frisco, Texas – as the location of Cowboys headquarters, the Heisman Trophy candidate continues to pinball off defenders as though he were playing against those still at the prep level. Bringing him on could one of the first steps in a massive recalibration for Dallas.”

3. Joseph Acosta, SBNation: No. 11 to Dallas Cowboys

Rationale: “I will continue to mock this until it gets done. The Cowboys’ RB room is simply not able to get it done, and Jeanty’s ability to break tackles, catch the ball out of the backfield and pass block make him the perfect RB prospect.”

4. Daniel Flick, Sports Illustrated: No. 11 to Dallas Cowboys

Rationale: “The Cowboys are severely flawed, from an evident need for curtains at AT&T Stadium to their actual roster. Jeanty may not block out the sun, but he’d help fix the league’s second-worst rushing offense.”

5. Jeremy Trottier, Saints Wire: No. 9 to New Orleans Saints

Rationale: “One of the premier prospects who is most definitely in Heisman consideration is Ashton Jeanty, and despite my propensity to stay away from running backs early, Jeanty is a whole different breed of football player. The Saints’ offense functioned extremely well as a two-running back system with Mark Ingram and a young Alvin Kamara, and now they have the option to do so again.”

6. Matthew Freedman, Fantasy Life: No. 13 to Dallas Cowboys

Rationale: “I have just one RB going in Round 1: The electric Ashton Jeanty. … It will be so hilarious when the Cowboys see him go off the board one pick ahead of them after GM Jerry Jones mentions casually in an interview the day before the draft that they intend to take him in Round 1.”

7. Keith Sanchez, The Draft Network: No. 11 to Dallas Cowboys

Rationale: “The Cowboys may not have enough draft capital to address all of their positional needs, but they have to start somewhere. Over the past few drafts, the Cowboys have invested resources along the offensive line to set themselves up for the future. So, with this pick, they draft a running back who can take full advantage of this newly rebuilt OL.”

8. Kyle Crabbs, 33rd Team: No. 11 to Dallas Cowboys

Rationale: “A running back like Ashton Jeanty could add more stability to the offensive infrastructure, with or without Dak (Prescott). And the Cowboys, who are largely one-dimensional on offense and in need of playmakers, have a track record under Jerry Jones of targeting running backs much earlier than pick No. 11. Run in the card, Jerry!”

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Bob Lundeberg
BOB LUNDEBERG

Bob Lundeberg is a reporter for Boise State Broncos On SI. An Oregon State graduate, Bob has lived in Idaho since 2019 and is an avid hiker and golfer.

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