The Raiders reportedly didn’t hesitate to take Ashton Jeanty with the no. 6 pick in the draft, but would they have taken the Boise State running back if they had a higher pick?
Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter was asked that question on his daily podcast, and he suggested there were two players ahead of Jeanty on the Raiders’ draft board.4
“I can tell you this. I do not believe they would have taken Jeanty if they could have gotten Cam Ward. And I do not believe they would have taken Jeanty had they could have gotten Abdul Carter,” Carpenter said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast.
As for who the Raiders would have drafted if Jeanty wasn’t available, it sounds like Hondo believes it would have been Mason Graham or Jalon Walker. It also sounds like Carter might have been the top player on the Raiders’ draft board with Ward being no. 2.
“I think if they walked away with Cam Ward, if they walked away with Abdul Carter, they walked away with Jeanty, they were going to be happy. I think they would have taken Abdul and then Cam Ward.” Carpenter continued. “And if Jeanty wouldn’t have been there, you know, a Mason Graham, a Jalon Walker… [but] probably Jalon.”
Interestingly, a name that Carpenter didn’t list was Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter.
Maybe the Raiders would have taken Hunter if Carter, Ward, Graham and Walker were all off the board, but it sounds they weren’t nearly as enamored with Hunter as the Jacksonville Jaguars obviously are.
Another name that wasn’t mentioned on Hondo’s list was LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell.
It’s hard to image the decision makers in Las Vegas didn’t like Campbell, but the more time goes by, the more it seems like the team has confidence in the offensive line they have in place.
