Raiders should entertain opportunity to fleece team who 'loves' Ashton Jeanty

Leaning into their need for a bell cow running back and head coach Pete Carroll's history, the Las Vegas Raiders and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty have been a low-hanging fruit match in 2025 mock drafts. General manager John Spytek has even noted a unique kind of "pressure" to take Jeanty at No. 6 overall.

We are in the teeth of pre-draft smokescreen season. So anything that gets out as professed insight into what a team will do, players a team likes/doesn't like, or about a prominent player's draft stock, has to be taken with that grain of salt.

ESPN's fresh roundup of draft buzz has suggested the Raiders taking Jeanty at sixth overall, such as much of anything should be considered a lock to happen, might not be the lock it seems to be. The same column had this about the Chicago Bears, from draft analyst Matt Miller.

"The Bears love Ashton Jeanty, according to scouts around the league who've observed the team's activity this offseason. So the Boise State running back could be the pick at No. 10 ... if he's still around."

On the Just Win podcast last week, Ted Nguyen of The Athletic pointed to the Bears as a team who could trade up for Jeanty if/when he's there at No. 6.

“I think if there’s a team that would come up for Jeanty, it would be the Bears. They’re not too far off [with pick] 10,” Nguyen said. “And I think maybe all this signaling and leaks that they like Jeanty or whatever could be an incentive to try to get the Bears to trade up.”

Vic Tafur of The Athletic noted the last part of Spytek's comments to Sirius XM NFL Radio about where his son's "ultimatum' to draft Jeanty is rooted.

"Jack (Spytek's son) is motivated by fantasy football and touchdowns in fantasy football", Spytek said. "Not necessarily all of the team building.”

"That last part may be revealing — as Spytek and the Raiders are clearly concerned with team building in Year 1 of the team’s third regime in three years or it just may be Spytek dropping some random breadcrumbs for those trying to figure out what the Raiders are going to do", Tafur wrote.

Bears' rumored affinity for Ashton Jeanty may give Raiders an opportunity to fleece them

If the Bears want Jeanty that badly (again, a possible smokescreen) and the Raiders are willing to move out of No. 6, a trade could happen pretty easily.

On the Raiders' end, having three sixth-round picks feels less than ideal. Even with a roster than needs an across the board talent injection, that's a few too many late-round fliers--equaling how many picks they have in the top-70 overall right now.

The Raiders would probably be fine staying put at No. 6 and taking Jeanty, or whoever else they might fancy. But if there's an opportunity to fleece someone who really likes Jeanty, in this case the Bears, they could land in the enviable position of setting the trade parameters.

Here's a "take it of leave it" hypothetical trade proposal the Raiders can hold their ground on if the Bears have great affinity for Jeanty. If it's too rich for them, so be it.

In this deal the Raiders would be parting with 1,602 points on the value chart, while the Bears would be parting with 1,790 before considering the 2026 third-rounder. If we substitute the Bears' third-round pick this year (No. 72) for No. 41 overall going to the Raiders, that point value drops to 1,530 before accounting for that 2026 third. Based on this year's chart, that third-rounder next year would be worth as much as 265 points (pick No. 65) or as little as 92 points (pick No. 102).

For once, the Raiders might be in a high-leverage position to fleece someone in a draft trade. If the opportunity comes, and it is a big 'if', it should not be turned away from.