We’ve got formally entered draft month, which suggests we’re within the house stretch of our 2025 NFL Draft participant profile collection.
After prioritizing the names which have been essentially the most mocked to the Jacksonville Jaguars over the previous few weeks, we will lastly get into some wild card eventualities, beginning with famous person working again Ashton Jeanty.
The Boise State product not solely led the nation in dashing final season, however he practically broke Barry Sanders’ close to 40-year-old single-season dashing file. This led to Jeanty being the primary working again to win the Maxwell Award since Derrick Henry (2015) and a second-place end for the Heisman Trophy.
Jeanty had one of many all-time nice seasons from a working again in faculty soccer historical past and is completely within the dialogue to be a high 10 choose within the 2025 NFL Draft. However ought to he be in play for the Jaguars at fifth general?
Let’s break down all of his strengths and weaknesses as we decide his projection and match on this 2025 NFL Draft participant profile.
Measurables
- Peak: 5’ 9 ½”
- Weight: 211 lbs
- Arm: 29 ¼”
- Hand: 9 ¼”
per NFL Scouting Mix
Profession Statistics
- Dashing makes an attempt: 750
- Dashing yards: 4,769 (faculty file)
- Dashing TDs: 50
- Receptions: 80
- Receiving yards: 862
- Receiving TDs: 6
Strengths
- Compact body gives low heart of gravity and pure stability
- Nice quick space pace and burst to hit the outlet
- Runs low, breaks tackles, and falls ahead
- Excellent imaginative and prescient
- Very engaged in cross professional
- Can get skinny and pull by reaches and wraps
- Stamina stands out throughout longer runs. Maintains pace from begin to end of play
- Fast, uneven toes and excessive knees by site visitors
Weaknesses
- Put on and tear is considerably of a priority however by no means unprecedented
- Not overly shifty regardless of some flashes
- Prime-end pace isn’t elite
- Not a ton of elite NFL working backs have been sub-5’9
Projection and Match
Whereas working again is way from essentially the most speedy want on the Jaguars’ roster, the expertise of Ashton Jeanty may very well be a legit game-changer when projecting to Liam Coen’s offense.
All of us noticed what Bucky Irving changed into for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout his rookie yr in Coen’s scheme. The 2024 fourth-round choose completed sixth within the NFL in all-purpose yards final season and was by far essentially the most impactful rookie rusher from final season.
Think about Irving however higher in each regard. It feels just like the sky’s the restrict for a again of Jeanty’s caliber in Jacksonville.
Present starter Travis Etienne is coming off back-to-back seasons averaging underneath 4 yards per carry. Whereas Tank Bigsby had flashes final season, neither presents the kind of upside of Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty.
Conclusion
There are a handful of different names (lots of which we’ve already mentioned in our collection) which might be much more prone to be the choose for Jacksonville at fifth general than Jeanty, nevertheless it’s a minimum of a transfer you may justify as being a risk contemplating the entire above.
Jeanty has every part you need when projecting a working again prospect to the following degree and may very well be simply the splash choose this staff must kick off what’s shaping as much as be an thrilling new period of Jacksonville Jaguars soccer.
Grade: 9.3
Large Cat Nation NFL Draft Grading Scale
9.5 to 10 – Prime-5 lock. Uncommon attributes each bodily and mentally. Clearly essentially the most proficient participant on the sector in faculty. Sport-changing/wrecking projection on the subsequent degree. Potential be top-10 at their place straight away.
8.5 to 9.4 – Unquestioned first-round prospect. Elite bodily and psychological profile. Carried out persistently at a excessive degree, irrespective of the competitors in faculty. Expectations to be an instantaneous affect participant.
7.5 to eight.4 – Combined opinions on first-round projection. Above common bodily profile. Thought of an important participant at respective faculty however not a family identify. Performs admirably towards high competitors. Potential to be an instantaneous starter on the subsequent degree. 1-2 spherical choose.
6.5 to 7.4 – Day 2 prospect. Good athlete however can’t match up with the league’s finest. Productive collegiate profession. Expectation to carry out in a rotational position as a rookie. Potential to grow to be a starter over time.
5.5 to six.4 – Fringe late Day 2/early Day 3 prospect. Admirable athletic profile. Extra potential than completed product. Missing obligatory measurables at their place however have discovered methods to win with out them. Rotational piece with a task on particular groups as nicely.
4.5 to five.4– Day 3 prospect. Both a low ceiling athletically or undersized for his or her place. Potential for purple flag of some kind (exp. Accidents, lack of faculty manufacturing, off-field points and many others.). Nonetheless gives a component of intrigue when projecting to the following degree. Predominately a particular groups participant.
3.5 to 4.4 – Backside half of Day 3 prospect. Underwhelming collegiate profession (or small faculty product). Has a singular trait that’s value a late spherical swing of the bat. Probability to compete for a roster spot in coaching camp. Uphill battle to make closing 53.
2 to three.4 – Precedence free agent signee. Traits value exploring. Camp physique.
1 to 1.9 – Clearly not of NFL high quality. Lacks the mandatory athletic, psychological, and ability ranges to make any contributions within the league.
Different prospects that Dillon has profiled/graded: