Raiders rumors: Ex-GM drops eye-opening Ashton Jeanty-Marshawn Lynch take

The Las Vegas Raiders could be a much better team during Pete Carroll's first season as head coach. Las Vegas has already started making some big moves, including trading for Seahawks QB Geno Smith. Now the Raiders have a chance to get even better during the 2025 NFL Draft.

Former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum released a 2025 NFL mock draft on Tuesday. In that mock, he pretended to be the general manager for each NFL team when making his picks.

Tannenbaum appears to be in line with other NFL draft analysts who believe the Raiders could select Boise State's Ashton Jeanty in the first round.

“The recent acquisition of Geno Smith means taking a quarterback is unlikely, especially with holes in the offense around Smith,” Tannenbaum began. “The Raiders could use another receiver, some offensive line reinforcements and a dynamic running back.”

Tannenbaum briefly compared Jeanty to Marshawn Lynch when explaining that Carroll prefers to have a strong running game.

“Landing Jeanty would set the tempo for Las Vegas under Pete Carroll,” Tannenbaum concluded. “Jeanty doesn't have the physicality of Marshawn Lynch (who starred under Carroll in Seattle), but he has the skills to be more impactful as an overall NFL player.”

Jeanty had an incredible 2024 campaign at Boise State. He put up 2,601 total yards with an astounding 1,733 yards after contact.

Jeanty could immediately transform a Raiders offense that finished dead last in rushing yards (1,357) in 2024.

Raiders urged to trade down during first round of 2025 NFL Draft

Not every NFL analyst believes that the Raiders should select Ashton Jeanty. ESPN's Bill Barnwell labeled the Raiders are one team that should trade down in the first round in an article published on Monday.

“Unless they are in love with Shedeur Sanders and are in position to take him at No. 6, moving down and attempting to build through young players is the way to go.

“Carroll's early days in Seattle — where the Seahawks benefited from having extra picks in each of his first three drafts — are an example of how Las Vegas should be approaching its long-term vision with smart short-term decisions,” Barnwell explained.

Barnwell does make a good point about Sanders being a rational choice if he falls to the sixth overall pick. He seems to be following similar logic to Tannenbaum but arriving at a different conclusion. If the Raiders are far away from being a complete offense, why spend a premium pick on a running back?

The Raiders could always swipe up a different running back in the middle rounds of the draft after trading down. It will be fascinating to see if Las Vegas follows Barnwell's advice this April.