NFL Draft: What Boise State's Ashton Jeanty Can Bring to Jaguars

Ahston Jeanty is one of the best players in the NFL Draft. What could he potentially bring to the Jacksonville Jaguars?

Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) runs past Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Kobe King (41) during their Vrbo Fiesta Bowl matchup at State Farm Stadium on Dec. 31, 2024. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars offer one of the better one-two punches at running back in the NFL with Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne. The two are expected to have key roles in head coach Liam Coen's offense with their skill sets in either the run or pass game.

However, one would argue attacking a deep running back class in the NFL Draft would provide insurance for the future and someone that can be a change-of-pace player in Jacksonville's backfield.

While there are bigger needs at other positions, the Jaguars are in a position to select arguably the best offensive playmaker in the draft.

Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty is coming off a historic Heisman Trophy runner-up campaign that he would've won in any other year.

The former four-star recruit was the best player at his position for the last two years, winning the Maxwell and Doak Walker Awards, being a unanimous All-American, two-time Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, and two-time first-team All-Mountain West. Jeanty ran for an unreal 2,601 yards and 30 total touchdowns as one of the Broncos' all-time greatest players.

Could Jeanty be a possibility at No. 5 overall? If so, let's take a dive into his draft profile.

Strengths

Jeanty has just about everything you want in a running back. His vision is outstanding, showing tremendous football intelligence to work against the grain and find slivers of creases at the line of scrimmage to punch through. He plays with a low center of gravity that allows him to be a creative runner in the open field with impressive jukes and cuts in one-on-one situations.

This is a running back with great power and contact balance combined with twitchy feet. Jeanty will run through defenders on all three levels en route to the end zone. He has great leg churn to sustain consistent movement after contact and will gain extra yards when going to the ground.v

Jeanty's strong core and elusiveness make it almost impossible to bring him down in the open field. Combine that with his great second-level acceleration and enough long speed, he is incredibly dangerous in one-on-one matchups. Jeanty can make changes to his course on the fly, even as soon as at the mesh point if the originally designed run is initially clogged up.

While he didn't showcase it during his junior campaign, Jeanty is an impressive third-down weapon in the passing game. He displays natural hands at the catch point while using his great short-area quickness to be an effective route runner. Furthermore, Jeanty can line up in multiple alignments from the slot or the perimeter, making him a true and valuable every-down player.

Weaknesses

Like any running back with Jeanty's type of production, questions will be asked about his wear-and-tear. He has 750 carries and 830 touches for his career and it's fair to wonder about his long-term durability at the next level.

Jeanty has had some ball security issues throughout his career, though it wasn't a significant problem in 2024. Regardless, protecting the ball will be paramount in the NFL.

Two true concerns with Jeanty are that he does not have elite get-away speed that will destroy tackling angles and that his technique in pass protection must improve. He has shown flashes to wash defenders out and occasionally stand up an opposing defender form the second level. However, he plays with improper technique that should be correctable with coaching.

What Jeanty could bring to the table for the Jaguars

Overall, Jeanty is an all-around, top-of-the-line running back who will be able to seamlessly handle the role of a workhorse running back in both the run and passing game. He offers a combination of elite vision, physicality, contact balance, change of direction, and third-down ability that make him one of the best running back prospects in the last several years.

The Jaguars are in a position to potentially select him at No. 5, which would be an all-time shocker for fans of the franchise. It could spell the end of Etienne's future in Duval County but potentially give the team a three-headed monster in the backfield for at least one season.

There will be some concerns about his wear-and-tear, along with the need for refinement as a pass blocker. However, it's hard to ignore the true talent here as one of the best running backs to enter the draft over the past few years. Jeanty is a scheme-transcendent talent who can garner over 1,000 rushing yards each year.

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