Needless to say, high first-round selections in the annual NFL Draft are important pieces for teams across the National Football League. However, just as important as the high first-round selections themselves are what a team does to build around those cornerstone pieces. That’s what Pete Carroll and John Spytek did extremely well with the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2025 NFL Draft.
With the sixth-overall pick, Carroll and Spytek welcomed.. a running back? Not just any running back, though–Ashton Jeanty, who led the FBS in pretty much every positive stat there is.
That includes: rushing yardage (2,595 – first by 883), rushing touchdowns (29 – first by four), forced missed tackles (152 – first by 49), 10-plus yard runs (63 – first by nine), 15-plus yard runs (36 – first by four), and first downs (120 – first by 39).
Oh yeah; Jeanty’s 1,970 yards after contact was over 50 yards more than any other runner in the entire FBS had in general, pre- and post-contact combined.
No, seriously; Jeanty is much different than your average running back. That’s a sentiment Raider Nation has certainly heard countless times by now. Here’s some examples of why that is.
Pete Carroll, John Spytek building the right way: Las Vegas Raiders sixth-overall selection Ashton Jeanty is just different
During his 2024 campaign, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty was met either at or behind the line of scrimmage 347 times. On these runs alone, the 21-year-old accumulated an extra 1,489 rushing yards in total, netting 1,099 positive yards from the line of scrimmage onward.
For perspective, prior to this past year, no player in the history of college football history netted 1,000-plus positive yards on plays where they were met either at or behind the line of scrimmage. Not until the 5-foot-8 running back was one yard short of 1,100 on such runs.
Jeanty even broke Pro Football Focus‘ record books, earning the highest career grade (99.9) the company has ever given out at running back. His 3,557 yards after contact ranks second-highest in college football history, and his 284 forced missed tackles is more than any college running back has ever totaled.
Against top-end competition, Oregon and Penn State, Jeanty was at his best. He was able to record 100-plus rushing yards against both schools, performing better against both than any single runner in the entirety of the FBS did during the 2024 season.
With 192 yards on the ground in Week 2, Jeanty became one-of-two players to post 100-plus rushing yards against Oregon in 2024–68 more than anybody else. He was also able to record 21 more yards after contact than any other runner who faced off against Oregon, as well as four more forced missed tackles than anyone totaled against Oregon in 2024.
Jeanty was the only player to accumulate 100-plus rushing yards against Penn State this past season as well. More impressively, the Boise State superstar was able to total 16 forced missed tackles in this game.
For reference, no player in the entirety of the FBS was able to total more than 15 forced missed tackles in any week against any school, regardless of the competition. Except Ashton Jeanty, who achieved this feat three times, including against Penn State.
You can find our full film breakdown of Jeanty against Penn State here:
But Jeanty is only one piece of this puzzle.
The other building blocks
As mentioned at the start of this article, building around a high first-round selection is just as important as the high first-round selection itself. You might think of a team adding a quarterback early, then getting him a wideout or offensive line protection. Maybe even both.
That’s exactly what Pete Carroll and John Spytek did here after selecting Jeanty with their sixth-overall pick.
After trading down twice, Spytek turned in a draft card with TCU wideout Jack Bech’s name on it. If there’s one thing Raider Nation should know about Bech, it’s that he’s, as the kids say, a ‘dawg’.
Bech brings a noticeable edge in the physicality section to the Silver and Black. As PFF puts it, Bech is a “power-type receiver;” one who’s oftentimes looking to bully his opposition. That physicality shines through on running downs when Bech engages with defenders on blocks, making him a reliable downfield blocker.
The same can be said for the Raiders’ fourth-round selection Dont’e Thornton. What’s better than a 6-foot-5 wideout with speed? A 6-foot-5 wideout with speed and physicality who knows how to use his massive frame to his advantage. For Thornton, this is on full display when he engages in blocks, making him an adept downfield blocker as well.
Do you see the vision Carroll and Spytek have, and how their draft picks all play off of each other? Receivers Bech and Thornton help Jeanty in the run game with their noteworthy blocking abilities, and Jeanty’s presence in the backfield in turn helps Bech and Thornton. It’s a win-win for Sin City’s football team.
Don’t forget about the two offensive linemen..
Of course, one can’t forget about the back-to-back offensive line selections in the third round. With picks 98 and 99, the Las Vegas Raiders welcomed guard Caleb Rodgers and tackle Charles Grant–two developmental pieces upfront.
Rodgers hails from Texas Tech where he allowed four or fewer sacks in four-of-five seasons as a starter. Grant comes from the small William and Mary where he posted a grade of 88-plus both in run- and pass-protection. Of course, that was against ‘weaker’ competition as a member of an FCS program.
While Rodgers earned an RAS – Relative Athletic Score – of 9.68/10, Grant’s attractiveness is in his measurables. An 81 7/8″ wingspan puts Grant in the 68-percentile while 34 3/4″ arm length places him in the 84-percentile.
For reference, Will Campbell, the first tackle taken in this year’s draft, has a 77 3/8″ wingspan. Campbell also has 32 5/8″ arms.
Carroll and Spytek are committed to building a team that can run the football, knowing that’ll make passing downs easier. And making passing downs easier will in turn make running downs easier. It’s an endless cycle of continuously benefiting from the other’s presence.
That’s how a winning team is built in the National Football League, and that’s exactly what’s happening with the Las Vegas Raiders.
