Ashton Jeanty entered the 2025 NFL Draft as the most hyped running back prospect in years.
Jeanty dominated in college at Boise State and rushed for 4,769 yards and 50 touchdowns over 40 games with the Broncos. Jeanty finished 2nd in Heisman Trophy voting last season, behind only the elite dual-threat Travis Hunter.
As a result, Jeanty was widely predicted to be one of the first players selected in the 2025 draft. Jeanty ended up going No. 6 to the Las Vegas Raiders, who badly needed to upgrade their running back room.
Through the first few games of his NFL career, Jeanty failed to live up to lofty expectations. The rookie averaged just 2,9 yards per carry over his first two games and doubters were already starting to get loud.
One of those doubters was former NFLer and current ESPN analyst Ryan Clark. Clark took shots at Jeanty last week, saying the running back doesn't "that pop" that you want from a running back.
“To me, Ashton Jeanty doesn’t have that pop, doesn’t have that thing that makes him different,” Clark said on ESPN’s “First Take.” “What’s Ashton Jeanty’s ‘it’ factor? Because when you got it, you got it, and it pops. I don’t think this is a load management thing. I think this is a production thing."
That was certainly an interesting thing to say after just a few games of the rookie. However, in Week 4, the running back put that talk to rest, at least for now.
Against the Chicago Bears, Jeanty rushed for a career-high 138 yards and one touchdown. The rookie also caught two passes for 17 yards and two more touchdowns. Other than a field goal by Daniel Carlson, Jeanty accounted for all of the Raiders' points on Sunday.
It's not uncommon for rookies to struggle with the transition to the NFL, and Clark would know that better than anyone as a longtime NFL player. Therefore it was a bit surprising to see the analyst come for Jeanty like he did.
Jeanty will have a tough test next week, though, as his Raiders take on the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts are currently 8th in the league in rushing defense, but Jeanty has proven he can contribute in the passing game as well.
Unfortunately, Jeanty's efforts weren't enough to give the Raiders a win. The team fell to the Bears by a score of 25-24 and fell to 1-3 on the season.