Whether it be because he’s a running back, or because he went to a Group of Five school, or because he just had one of the best seasons ever for a collegiate running back, projecting which team will take Ashton Jeanty in the 2025 NFL Draft hasn’t been easy.
There’s no doubt Jeanty is talented. He just ran for 2,601 yards in 2024.
But the discourse around spending money and draft capital on running backs has changed over the past few years, and some believe it’s more effective to use those resources on other positions.
Also, teams have become averse to drafting G5 players highly. Look no further than last year when Quinyon Mitchell of Toledo was clearly a great talent but still dropped to the 22nd overall pick when he was taken by Philadelphia. He went on to nearly win Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
With that in mind, there’s several possibilities for Jeanty.
Ashton Jeanty Draft Odds Leaders
| Team | Odds |
| Bears | -145 |
| Jaguars | +110 |
| Raiders | +750 |
| Patriots | +220 |
| Broncos | +4000 |
| Cowboys | +5000 |
| Falcons | +6600 |
| Saints | +10000 |
| Giants | +10000 |
| Jets | +10000 |
Ashton Jeanty Betting Odds For The First Overall Pick
Jeanty’s betting odds of being the first overall pick are +50000, per BetMGM. His odds of being drafted second are +8000 and his odds of being taken third are +3500.
The draft odds for the Boise State star running back to be picked fourth overall are +525. He’s the betting odds favorite to be the fifth selection are -300.
Ashton Jeanty Betting Odds To Be The First Running Back Drafted
Jeanty is the heavy favorite to be the first running back selected in the 2025 NFL Draft at -10000. Omarion Hampton is second at +1500, while TreVeyon Henderson is third at +8000.
Ashton Jeanty/Raiders Possibility
The Raiders were the betting favorites to draft Ashton Jeanty and were one of the teams rumored to pick him for a while.
Historically, the Raiders aren’t afraid to take big swings with their first-round draft picks. They also are willing to take running backs in the first round, as they picked Josh Jacobs 24th overall in 2019.
But I wonder how much a running back of any skill level would help the Raiders, who have the sixth overall pick, when they have so many other needs on their roster. They did just recently trade for Geno Smith, so they might not be looking to take a quarterback early. But going into Pete Carroll’s first season as the head coach, I’m expecting Las Vegas will look elsewhere for help at running back.
Ashton Jeanty/Bears Rumors
The Chicago Bears became the favorites to draft Ashton Jeanty on Thursday. They are a fascinating destination for the Boise State star running back.
The Bears’ most glaring need this offseason was their offensive line, as they badly needed help protecting quarterback Caleb Williams. But the Bears have mostly already taken care of that, as they signed center Drew Dalman and traded for interior O-lineman Jonah Jackson and All-Pro guard Joe Thuney. They also signed defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo to help them up front on the defensive side.
That gives the Bears some flexibility with the 10th overall pick. A solid, dependable ground game would certainly help Williams, so I don’t discount the Bears taking Jeanty at all.
Ashton Jeanty To The Jaguars?
The Jaguars have the second-best betting odds to draft Ashton Jeanty at +110. Since they have the fifth overall selection, that could be a good landing spot for him.
Jacksonville does need some additional offensive firepower to help out Trevor Lawrence, and the Jaguars were in the bottom seven in the NFL with 101.7 rushing yards per game.
But I don’t see running back being such a pressing need for the Jaguars that they need to go get another one this early. Travis Etienne, who rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons, is still only going into his fourth year in the league, and Tank Bigsby is also a fine contributor after he ran for 766 yards in 2024.
I think the Jaguars need help on defense more than they need another running back.
Ashton Jeanty Draft Projection
I predict Ashton Jeanty will be drafted by the Chicago Bears with the 10th overall pick.
The Bears make the most sense in terms of team need, where they’re at as a franchise overall, and where they’re drafting. Sure, anyone could trade up for Jeanty, but I don’t think he slips out of the top 10, and I believe the other teams drafting in that range have more glaring weaknesses right now.
New Bears head coach Ben Johnson heavily relied on the ground game to set up the passing attack for success when he was the offensive coordinator in Detroit. Prioritizing running back, especially when the Bears have already addressed so many other needs, just makes sense.
