Raiders General Manager John Spytek and Head Coach Pete Carroll kicked off their 2025 NFL draft class by selecting Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty with the sixth overall pick.

Get to know the newest member of the Silver and Black below.

1. Breaking tackles and records

The Raiders are adding one of the most dynamic running backs in NCAA history to their offense. The 2024 Heisman Trophy runner-up recorded 2,601 rushing yards in 2024, the most in the nation and second most in FBS history. His 29 rushing touchdowns were tied for seventh in FBS history.

Jeanty left Boise State as the program's leader in career rushing yards (4,769), yards per carry (6.36) and yards per game (119.2).

2. Steady improvement

While the Raiders' newest addition to the offense garnered his most recognition last season, he made an immediate impact on the Boise State program as a freshman and continued to increase his production year over year.

In his first year with the Broncos, Jeanty appeared in all 14 games (two starts) and recorded 821 rushing yards on 156 carries. His 5.26 yards per carry average ranked first in the Mountain West.

As a sophomore in 2023, Jeanty started in 10 of his 12 games played and upped his rushing totals to 220 carries and 1,347 yards. He was named an Associated Press Second Team All-American and the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year.

Then in 2024, Jeanty set single-season school records in rush attempts, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. He was honored with the Doak Walker Award, Maxwell Award and was named a unanimous AP All-American.

3. Earning praise

Jeanty was the third-ranked prospect in the draft, according to NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah.

"He is a short, compact runner with incredible strength, balance and burst," Jeremiah wrote. "He displays outstanding vision, tempo and feel. On inside runs, the Boise State product has a unique ability to absorb and bounce off tacklers. He has quick feet and never stops driving on contact, leading to some miraculous escapes and home runs. He is rarely -- if ever -- tackled when presented with one-on-one situations at the second level, exhibiting the capacity to run through defenders, make them miss or just burst by them."

According to The Athletic's Bruce Feldman, opposing coaches came away impressed with Jeanty's abilities.

"You take him off that team, and they're not close to a playoff team," a secondary coach who faced Boise State last year told Feldman. "He's got very good vision, good patience. He bounces off people, runs through contact. It was rare for one guy to bring him down. And I liked that he gets better as the game goes on.

"He reminded me of Ezekiel Elliott in how he ran. I do think guys didn't go in with confidence to take him down, like some guys were intimidated by him. That ain't gonna be the case in the NFL."

4. A message to the NFL

Days before the first round of the NFL Draft, Jeanty penned a letter to NFL general managers in The Players' Tribune.

He detailed his upbringing, family influences and how his love for football began. But perhaps the most talked about excerpt was a look inside Jeanty's mindset and what he believes he'll bring to the NFL level.

He ended the letter by writing:

"I truly believe I was born to do this. And I truly believe what makes me different — it isn't about the position I line up at. It's about the mindset I bring to it. Those 11 dudes on defense … they're on a football field playing football. Me — in my mind? I'm still in the backyard with my friends, playing 'no one can touch me.' I've taken the long way. I'm done with that way. If you pick me, it's simple: I'm coming to your franchise to do what Saquon and the Eagles just did. I'm coming to win, big, soon. It's TACKLE football … you know what I'm saying? I'd draft the guy they can't tackle."