Ashton Jeanty is the consensus top running back in the 2025 NFL Draft class. I'm not going to argue against it. As somebody who has followed Jeanty's entire college career and included him on my Heisman ballot (though behind Travis Hunter), I do not need to be convinced about how good a player Jeanty is.
However, I do wonder if we're all a little too sure.
Saquon Barkley just got paid, and we're in a bit of a "Running backs are BACK!" narrative cycle. Is the success of the NFL's top running backs having too much of an influence on how we view all running backs in the draft again? It's possible, and it could be leading to there being too much stock put into the possibility of Jeanty being a high pick, but there's another part of Jeanty's profile I believe is being ignored a little too easily.
Jeanty didn't compete in any drills at the NFL Scouting Combine, but he was measured. He came in at 5-feet-8 and 211 pounds. Here is a list of NFL running backs who were 5-feet-8 or shorter to amass at least 4,500 rushing yards in their career.
| Running backs 5-feet-8 and shorter | Career rushing yards | Drafted |
|---|---|---|
Barry Sanders | 15,269 | Third overall (1989) |
Maurice Jones-Drew | 8,167 | 60th overall (2006) |
Joe Morris | 5,585 | 45th overall (1982) |
Devonta Freeman | 4,720 | 103rd overall (2014) |
Ashton Jeanty landing spots: Ranking five best fits for top NFL Draft prospect, including Cowboys, Chargers
Cody Benjamin
That's it. That's the entire list. Four guys. Granted, one of them, Barry Sanders, may be the greatest running back of all-time. Then there's Maurice Jones-Drew, who had an excellent career in his own right. But Barry Sanders was Barry Sanders. We throw the word generational around a lot, but Sanders truly met the criteria. As for MJD, he's a much better comp for Jeanty because while he was an inch shorter, he weighed the same.
If you use a top-10 pick on Jeanty and get MJD, you're probably happy with the pick. But would you be happy with it if you got Devonta Freeman's career? What if you get Devin Singletary (74th overall, 2019), who is at 4,486 yards right now but has bounced around between three different teams?
I'm not here to tell you Jeanty will be a bust because I don't believe that to be the case. All I'm trying to say is that if he isn't, he'll be an outlier. There's far more risk here than we all seem to realize.
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NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
Maybe the injury concerns cause Abdul Carter to slide in the first round, but for now, I have a hard time seeing the Titans go in another direction that doesn't involve trading out of this pick.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
The more tape I watch, the more convinced I become that Cam Ward is the only quarterback in the class I'm comfortable using a first-round pick on. Cleveland gets the reset it needs.
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Round 1 - Pick 3
My gut tells me the Giants will end up going the veteran QB route because there's pressure to win now, so instead of reaching for a QB, they go with the guy who may be the best talent in the class. Having Travis Hunter primarily play corner, but mix him in on offense alongside Malik Nabers, would be a lot of fun.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
I'm not going to tell you arm length doesn't matter at tackle, but I do wonder if we get too caught up in these measurements. Will Campbell's arms handled life just fine in the SEC against a lot of guys who will be drafted behind him, and if it doesn't work out in the long run, you'll have to live with an All-Pro guard. Either way, the Pats need to invest in protecting Drake Maye.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
The weight issue is interesting, as Mason Graham measured in at 296 pounds in Indianapolis after being listed at 320 by Michigan. But is it interesting enough to hurt his draft stock given what he's put on tape through his entire career? I doubt it.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
I do not believe this to be an impressive WR class overall, but Tetairoa McMillan is a very intriguing prospect given his size and athleticism. I compare him to Tee Higgins, as he has the ability to be a true No. 1, which the Raiders can certainly use.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
Nothing about what Shemar Stewart did at the combine surprised me. He's an athletic freak. Here's the question: Can the Jets tap into the incredible athleticism and turn him into a player whose production matches his ability?
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Mock Trade from
Carolina Panthers
Round 1 - Pick 8
The Chiefs have serious issues at tackle and cash in a lot of chips to move up and address the issue with Armand Membou. Their championship window will be open as long as they have Patrick Mahomes, but with Travis Kelce coming back, this is something of an "all-in" move for the current roster.
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Mock Trade from
New Orleans Saints
Round 1 - Pick 9
Clearly the Cowboys aren't concerned about his size in this mock! I don't know. The Cowboys have been way too quiet this offseason and it feels like they're due to do something big. Trading up to get Ashton Jeanty would qualify, particularly for a sports city that could use something to be happy about.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
The Bears have already addressed both starting guard spots through trades, and I'm not convinced they feel they need to make a move at tackle, though they might. However, here I have them addressing a pass rush that was a major problem for them last season.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
Truth be told, I like Walter Nolen better than Darius Alexander, but I had Nolen here in my last mock, so I'm switching it up a bit! Alexander had a very impressive combine, and I know there are some teams who are extremely high on him.
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Mock Trade from
Dallas Cowboys
Round 1 - Pick 12
The Saints move down from the top 10, pick up additional assets and then address their pass rush with Jalon Walker. It's a team with a lot of needs, though, so they could go any number of directions.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
I have to imagine the Dolphins would be pretty happy if this scenario plays out and Kelvin Banks Jr. falls into their laps. I have questions about his ability as a run-blocker, but a lot of what Banks did with the Longhorns meshes with what he'll be asked to do in Miami.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
If Will Johnson had played the entire 2024 season, I'm convinced his stock would be much higher than it is. If I'm the Colts and he's still on the board, I'm picking up the phone very quickly.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
When James Pearce Jr. ran the 40-yard dash in a hoodie because he forgot his workout shirt in his hotel room, I received a text from somebody familiar with Pearce that "neither his performance or forgetting his shirt is a surprise." The Falcons desperately need help in their pass rush, so they take someone extremely qualified to help, and perhaps they can show Pearce how to put reminders in his phone.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
If I were basing my mocks off nothing but my personal draft board, Walter Nolen would be a top-10 pick. I might even have him go on the top five. I'm that high on him. So congratulations to Arizona for this pretend pick. You've hit a home run here.
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Round 1 - Pick 17
I certainly understand what it is about Derrick Harmon that teams like, but I'm a bit underwhelmed when I watch the tape. Still, everything I hear from people more connected than I am suggests NFL front offices feel a lot differently, so I'll continue mocking him in the first until I hear otherwise.
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Round 1 - Pick 18
The intel I've heard in recent weeks is that teams who were high on this tackle class coming into the spring have found themselves souring on it overall. That said, it's still an important position, and we'll see players go in the first round. But perhaps we'll see more variance in who is selected than mocks suggest, and Aireontae is a prospect I can see a team falling for.
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Round 1 - Pick 19
Jahdae Barron is a good corner, but the knock on him will be his size. He isn't tall, and he doesn't have great length. You don't see many corners with his profile going much earlier than this in the first round lately.
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Round 1 - Pick 20
I think Tyler Warren's draft position could vary wildly. I won't be shocked if he goes in the top 10, but if he doesn't, I can see him falling, too. But falling past 20? Given what I know of Sean Payton, I doubt it.
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Round 1 - Pick 21
As mentioned earlier, Cam Ward is the lone QB in this class I think is worth a first-round pick, but it's not a knock on Shedeur Sanders. I believe he's is the most NFL-ready prospect in the class. What I don't know is how much room for growth is left here?
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Round 1 - Pick 22
Jim Harbaugh will have plenty of familiarity with Kenneth Grant, who is an excellent athlete and productive player at a position of need for the Chargers.
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Round 1 - Pick 23
The Packers have talent at WR, but how many truly reliable players do they have at the position? Luther Burden III would be tremendous value for Green Bay here.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
Malaki Starks did not have a great performance at the combine, and it could work to Minnesota's benefit here. There are some positions where you want an incredible athlete, and there are others where you want smart football players who might only be very good athletes. Safety falls into the latter for me.
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Round 1 - Pick 25
I have a crush on Tyler Booker, and I won't apologize for it. He isn't an athletic freak, but he's an absolute mauler who plays without fear and never takes a play off. A good player and culture guy.
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Round 1 - Pick 26
Now that we know Matthew Stafford will be back, the Rams move on to making sure he has the requisite weapons to succeed, and Colston Loveland is the type of tight end Sean McVay could have a lot of fun with.
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Round 1 - Pick 27
As a Chicago Bears fan, I had long hoped Landon Jackson would be somebody they could take early in the second round, but the combine may have crushed those hopes. He's big, long and a tremendous athlete. He was also productive in college. He's everything you look for in an edge prospect and should be a first-round pick.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
OK, so I've had Ohio State's Jack Sawyer here in each of my first two mocks because it seems like a match made in heaven, but Mike Green has a higher ceiling and would be the better value late in the first for a Detroit team that needs a second pass-rusher.
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Round 1 - Pick 29
Trading for Deebo Samuel pushes wide receiver down the list of Washington's needs, and while offensive line makes sense here, too, Revel is a great corner prospect who saw his 2024 season cut short due to an ACL injury. But he should be ready for the 2025 season, and Washington needs help in the secondary.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
Jihaad Campbell was my top linebacker in the class going into the combine, and that ranking was only solidified by his performance in Indianapolis. He would make a lot of sense for the Buffalo defense.
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Mock Trade from
Kansas City Chiefs
Round 1 - Pick 31
The Panthers got plenty of additional assets by trading with the Chiefs, and will use those picks to build around a young team. One way to help Bryce Young would be surrounding him with weapons, and Emeka Egbuka is the epitome of a winning football player.
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Round 1 - Pick 32
Continuously adding monsters to the lines of scrimmage seems to be Philadelphia's motto. Donovan Ezeiruaku is a bit undersized, but it's mitigated by his length and athleticism.
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The 2024 NFL Draft will take place from April 25-27 in Detroit. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly updated draft order and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.
