Wild Ashton Jeanty Raiders Stat Could Cause NFL-Wide Issue
Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty was expected to come off the board in the top 10 of the 2025 NFL Draft. When the Las Vegas Raiders selected him at No. 6, it made sense and filled an obvious need for a franchise headlined by a new head coach, general manager and starting quarterback.
However, by selecting Jeanty at No. 6 overall, the Raiders did something they opted against when former starting running back Josh Jacobs hit free agency — forked over a large amount of guaranteed money to a running back.
While the situations are different, and the Raiders' new regime is obviously extremely high on Jeanty, the guaranteed money he'll receive as the No. 6 pick could send shockwaves across the NFL.
As Andrew Brandt detailed, Jeanty will earn just under $32 million guaranteed due to the rookie pay scale, the second-most among NFL running backs.
As the 6th overall pick, Ashton Jeanty will make a fully guaranteed contract of roughly $32 million.
— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) April 25, 2025
That will make him the 2nd-highest paid NFL running back, in terms of guaranteed money.
From a Cap/contract standpoint, picking a RB this high is a low value proposition.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley has a guarantee of $36 million, and the drop-off after him lands on San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey, with $24 million guaranteed, per Over The Cap.
The rookie running back stepping into the league with the second-most guaranteed money for his position may not sit well with veteran running backs who have been pushing for a pay increase in recent years.
While some running backs have seen an improvement in their total contract size, the guaranteed money is bound to become a bigger sticking point after Jeanty's rookie deal with the Raiders.
Related: Michael B. Jordan Reveals Chadwick Boseman's Impact on His 'Sinners' Role