Ashton Jeanty looks like a possible top-15 pick, but he’s had 593 combined touches over the past two seasons and an FBS-high 330 touches this year alone. Is that wear and tear a concern, especially at his position?
Dane Brugler: If Boise State wins this weekend and advances to the Playoff, Jeanty is going to finish his career with well over 800 offensive touches in his three years (he’s currently at 763). That’s a lot of mileage. You have to go back 17 years, to Darren McFadden, to find a running back drafted in the first round with that many offensive touches in college.
What will that mean for Jeanty’s draft projection? Hard to say, because it will mean different things to different teams. The glass-half-full perspective is Jeanty has proven himself to be a workhorse capable of playing through bumps and bruises. For a team on the right timeline, Jeanty is going to be very appealing in the middle of Round 1.
He landed in Washington with Jayden Daniels in my recent mock draft, but Denver — a team that hasn’t had a player rush for 100 yards in a game since 2022 — could make sense. And you know Jim Harbaugh would love the Chargers to become bullies in the ground game.
While his workload is certainly relevant, I think the greater threat to Jeanty landing top 15 is that, in my opinion, running back is the deepest position in this draft class.
Nick Baumgardner: I think it’s absolutely a concern and, frankly, I was glad to see Dane move Jeanty down a bit on his mock draft, because it illustrates how wide a range there could be for a player like this. In general, this feels like it’s going to be a big-time “preference” draft, so as the old saying goes: It only takes one team, with the right situation, to fall in love and make a move.
For context on Jeanty’s workload, the career carry numbers for the last two first-round RBs, Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs were 539 and 383, respectively. I don’t think Jeanty’s additional touches should be a deal-breaker, especially if a club is a playmaker away from contending — or if an established contender wants extra punch.
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NFL Draft prospects to watch in conference title games: Ashton Jeanty, Malaki Starks, others
