For the second year in a row, the Las Vegas Raiders stayed the course in the NFL Draft while the rest of the league plummeted into chaos. Their choice to avoid the drama of the event and their refusal to be too reactionary has netted them two excellent skill-position players in Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty.
This duo is sure to carry the Raiders this season with Geno Smith under center and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly calling plays. Jeanty was the obvious pick, and a great one, but Las Vegas was almost thwarted from landing him.
In the days and hours leading up to the event, the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears were all seemingly in the mix for the Boise State prospect, which made the waters a bit murky for the Raiders.
Raiders' Ashton Jeanty reveals the exact moment he knew he was going to Vegas
However, Jeanty seemed confident that Las Vegas was his final destination all along. In his first interview with the Raiders' media, Jeanty revealed the moment that he knew he'd be wearing the Silver and Black.
"Jeanty said he knew there was 'no way the Raiders weren't going to pick me' after (genearl manager John) Spytek's son threatened to leave the family if they didn't," wrote The Athletic's Vic Tafur.
John Spytek told the story of his son jokingly threatening to leave the family during an interview earlier in the offseason. The story went that if John Spytek did not take Jeanty with the No. 6 pick, his son would effectively disown him. This story was told in jest, but Jeanty seemed to take stock in it.
Now, Jeanty will look to prove Spytek's son right as he takes the field for the Las Vegas Raiders. While Josh Jacobs was certainly an exciting pick at the time, Jeanty is head and shoulders above him as a prospect.
Pete Carroll surely pounded the table for Jeanty, but it seems like Spytek ended up having no quarrels about selecting him either. The future of the offense is bright in Las Vegas, which many in Raider Nation could not have even fathomed just months ago.
Jeanty has the chance to etch himself into an already illustrious history of Raiders' running backs, and ironically, they may have the general manager's son to thank.
