From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty.
#2 Ashton Jeanty/RB Boise State – 5’9, 215 pounds (Junior)
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Ashton Jeanty | 5’9/215 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
The Good
– Exploded in his final two years with 4,300 yards and 48TDs while being second all-time in rushing yards for a single season
– Slippery runner with great contact balance to stay on his feet
– Presses blocks at a high level to allow better lanes to open when he accelerates
– Always falling forward for that extra few-yard gain
– Solid speed to pull away from defenders
– Athletic ability to hurdle defenders
– Great leg drive that allows him to keep going when fighting through defenders
The Bad
– 29th percentile height
– Nine fumbles in the last two years of college, 8 of which were lost to the other team
– Would like to see more incorporation of finesse running into his game, like a spin or stiff-arm
– Lacks blocking skills you’d like to see out of such a high pick
– Wanted to see a bigger role in the receiving game in 2022 and 2024 like he had in 2023
Bio
– 21 years old (December 2nd, 2003)
– 40 games played for Boise State from 2022 to 2024
– 830 offensive touches, 5,631 scrimmage yards, 56 scrimmage touchdowns, and 6.4 yards per carry in his college career
– 397 offensive touches, 2,739 scrimmage yards, 30 scrimmage touchdowns, and 7.0 yards per carry in 2024
– 2024 left elbow injury causing him to wear a brace, 2023 lower body injury vs. Wyoming that caused him to miss the following two games
– Four-star RB in his 2022 high school class from Frisco, TX
– Played both sides of the ball in football (RB/WR/DE/OLB/S), competed in track, and played basketball in high school
– Son of a US Navy chief petty officer
– Born in Jacksonville, FL but first played football in middle school in Chesapeake, VA.
– HS freshman at a school for military dependents near Naples, Italy, playing against other base schools throughout Europe, having 1,200 yards and 21 touchdowns
– Asked parents to move back to the United States after the season to keep playing football
– Had the most receiving yards of any running back in 2023 with 569
– Communications major
Tape Breakdown
Starting off with the part of Jeanty’s game I believe is most overlooked: his straight-line speed. In this situation, Boise State is down seven points in the fourth quarter to the seventh-ranked Oregon Ducks. Boise State elects to give the ball to their best player, and Jeanty shows that big-time players truly do make big-time plays in big-time moments. Jeanty takes the ball up the middle and seamlessly out-runs the entire defense to score a 70-yard touchdown untouched to tie up the game.
Though his speed is the main reason for the score, Jeanty crucially presses his block from the tight end (#88) to keep the rushing lane open as long as possible before exploding through. This part of Jeanty’s game will surely translate to the next level.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) January 21, 2025
This clip is to show off Jeanty’s world-class athleticism. He catches a normal swing pass out of the backfield before hurdling a Washington State defender five yards down the field. He lands on his feet afterward, and if it weren’t for being met by two more defenders, he would have kept running for more yards. You do not often find someone as versatile and athletic as Jeanty.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) January 21, 2025
This is one of my favorite runs from Jeanty all season. He takes the handoff before being met by a defender in the backfield. Jeanty just stiff-arms the defender into the ground before continuing his rush attempt. He next squeezes between two defenders where one got their hands on Jeanty. In typical Jeanty form, the defender just falls off of him. With still about 50 yards until the end zone, Jeanty side-steps another defender and accelerates. The final defender meets him at about the 15-yard-line. Jeanty fights off the final defender by using his leg drive and toughness to throw himself into the end zone.
This is a statement run by Jeanty since it shows what he is all about. You see a mixture of power, speed, and finesse as he breaks off a 59-yard touchdown. The only issue I have with this run is Jeanty reaching for the end zone with the ball, which makes it pop out at the end. For a guy who has a fumbling concern, you do not need to reach for the end zone.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) January 21, 2025
Fumbles are a real concern with Jeanty. It also did not help that he had two of them in the biggest game of his college career against Penn State. It marked the third game in his last two years where he had multiple fumbles in a game. It was an abnormal game for Jeanty, having his season-low in rush yards (104), yards per carry (3.5), touchdowns (0), and a season-high in fumbles (2). This game probably won’t sway teams’ decisions on drafting Jeanty, but it can’t leave a good taste in their mouth, knowing this is Jeanty’s biggest college game and he had an abnormally bad day.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) January 21, 2025
Finishing Jeanty’s film on a positive note, I really liked these back-to-back plays against San Diego State. I knocked his pass blocking because it is not where I think it should be for a player who is potentially a top-10 pick. However, I really liked this rep from him. He takes on the defender square and allows a rushing lane for the quarterback, who is feeling pressure from the other side. Jeanty follows up that play with the next one being a typical hard run by him with multiple defenders flying off him.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) January 19, 2025
Conclusion
There is a reason people consider Ashton Jeanty as a consensus top-15 pick. Simply put, primarily in his last two years of college, he looked like a man amongst boys. He fell just 27 yards short of the single-season rushing record of 2,628 yards set by Hall of Fame RB Barry Sanders in 1988, and it’s been a decade since we have seen a player eclipse 2,300-plus in a season.
The only true issue to Jeanty’s game has been the fumbles, where he’s had 9 these last two seasons. Everything else is truly just nitpicking. I do worry about fumbles at the next level from Jeanty, and his reaching for the end zone more often than not, does not make me feel any better about that. The bulk of his game comes from defenders being unable to tackle him due to his slippery nature as a runner and his impeccable leg drive. This worries me a bit about when he gets to the next level due to playing against some of the best athletes in the world. Though that hasn’t been an issue up to this point, it is still something to consider.
His background as a three-sport athlete speaks to his athleticism, which you can see on film. Plays like his hurdle against Washington State show he is truly an amazing athlete. He treats every play as if he is Marshawn Lynch in prime Beast Quake form. Who wouldn’t want such a threat in their backfield, where teams have to game plan to stop him?
Projection: Early Day 1
Depot Draft Grade: 9.1 – Top 10 pick (Pro-Bowl Talent/Day 1 Starter)
Games Watched: Oregon (2024), Washington State (2024), Penn State (2024), San Diego State (2024)
