From a strong segment of mock drafts that are out there, to pressure on general manager John Spytek from someone very close to him, to what Pete Carroll and by extension Chip Kelly will have as an offensive philosophy, to sheer need, the Las Vegas Raiders and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty feel like a pre-ordained marriage in the draft later this month.
There are rightfully some fans of Jeanty within the Raiders organization, and in an unsurprising development they will have the 2024 Heisman Trophy runner-up in for a top-30 visit this week.
If the Raiders think Jeanty is the clear No. 1 running back in a deep draft class at the position, they'll surely prove it by taking him at No. 6 overall, right?
Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports has the Raiders going a different direction at No. 6 in a new three-round 2025 mock draft.
Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.
"McMillan is 6-foot-5 but he moves like a shifty slot receiver with the benefit of an enormous catch radius and the ability to make contested catches look easy. Think Drake London but a better athlete."-Ryan Wilson, CBS Sports
Raiders pivot away from Ashton Jeanty and still land ideal 3-round haul in 2025 mock draft
McMillan has surfaced in some mock drafts as the pick for the Raiders at No. 6. With wide receiver arguably a bigger need for them than running back, it makes sense to take the widely-regarded best wide receiver in this draft class and take a running back in the second round.
That's just what Wilson had them doing, with North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton as the Raiders' selection at No. 38 overall.
Hampton topped 1,500 rushing yards in each of his last two seasons as a Tar Heel, and he's becoming a strong candidate to join Jeanty as a first-round pick later this month. If he were there early in the second round, the Raiders would presumably not hesitate to take him.
Completing the Raiders' three-round haul in Wilson's mock is Western Michigan cornerback Bilhal Kone at pick No. 68.
Kone (6-foot-1, 190 pounds) seems to match the physical profile Carroll favors in cornerbacks, he was productive in two seasons at Western Michigan (112 total tackles, 17 pass breakups) and he ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. SI.com reported the Raiders met with him at the combine, with scouts noting how well he uses his length and how fluid of an athlete he is.
The best wide receiver in this draft for many, followed by the second-best running back in this draft (and the best for some people). Then a sleeper cornerback who could be an immediate contributor and develop into a legit No. 1 corner. Jeanty landed with the divisional rival Denver Broncos at pick No. 20 in Wilson's mock, but as pivots go this is a very nice one for the Raiders.
