![Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, left, speaks during a press conference next to general manager James Gladstone at Miller Electric Center Tuesday, April 15, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_427,w_6000,h_3375/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/55/01js5gz985vxnf9vq9ej.jpg "Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, left, speaks during a press conference next to general manager James Gladstone at Miller Electric Center Tuesday, April 15, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]")
The Jacksonville Jaguars will have a wide array of options when they're on the clock at No. 5. But days ahead of the NFL Draft, they've been linked to one specific prospect: Running back Ashton Jeanty. This is noteworthy because the Las Vegas Raiders appear to have a strong interest in him as well.
Raiders general manager John Spytek held a pre-draft press conference and was asked about Jeanty. Before he could answer, head coach Pete Carroll asked him to "be careful."
Without much wiggle room, Spytek said that he doesn't know why running backs aren't valued as much as they were in the past, pointing out that he comes from Michigan and it's hard to get away from that.
"Imma be careful about talking about any speficif player," Spytek told the media. "But more broadly to the running back question, we just saw Saquon Barkley change the Eagles in one year. Now, they had a great team around him, it was adding an elite player. When you sit where we sit, the idea is to add elite players at any position. I don't try to de-value any certain position. There's time and games when you'd rather have the best kicker in the league."
Spytek continued, "There's certain ways to build a team, and I just don't know where we got to a place where we don't feel running backs are valued. I come from the University of Michigan, and to my core, those guys are certainly really valued there."
You can't blame Carroll for wanting to keep his team's strategy close to the chest, but Las Vegas could be zeroing in on some of the same prospects the Jags are targeting one pick earlier. Jeanty is one of them. Heck, he would be thrilled to play for the Silver & Black.
Armand Membou and Mason Graham could also go to the Raiders at No. 6. The only player they may be setting their sights on that Jacksonville isn't is quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
The Raiders won't be thrilled if the Jaguars draft Ashton Jeanty at No. 5
Had you said last year that the Jacksonville Jaguars were the favorites to land Ashton Jeanty, you would probably have gotten a blank stare. After all, they had a dynamic running back tandem in Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne. Moreover, the Jags were on pace to clinch the first overall selection, which might have given them a clear path to two-way star Travis Hunter. But fast forward to one week before the draft, and there's a strong chance they will roll with the former Boise State Bronco.
This is mostly due to the fact that Abdul Carter, Travis Hunter, and Will Campbell will probably be gone by the time Jacksonville is on the clock. At that point, Jeanty will probably be the best player available, and without much better options, nobody would bat an eye if he's the pick.
It's true that the Jaguars still have Etienne and Bigsby, but neither is the game-changer that Jeanty is. If anything, the Raiders' reported interest in him should incentivize Jacksonville to take him one pick earlier.
Sure, the Jags could take Mason Graham, or beef up the offensive line, but why not go with the player who can have an immediate impact and take some pressure off Trevor Lawrence's shoulders?