The Las Vegas Raiders came into the 2025 Draft looking to not only select for position of need, but the best player available on the board.

With the No. 6 pick, it seems they accomplished both in Ashton Jeanty.

The former Boise State running back is coming off one of the best seasons in college football history. His 2,601 rushing yards were the second-most in FBS history.

Despite playing in the Mountain West Conference, a Group of Five conference, he led the Broncos to a 12-2 record, a conference championship and their first CFB playoff berth. In Jeanty's four games against Power Five conference opponents in 2024, he rushed for 781 yards and eight touchdowns. Additionally, he's already familiar with Allegiant Stadium, having averaged 163.3 yards per game in his three trips to Las Vegas with Boise State.

"I've got to shout out Mark Davis, the owner, [John] Spytek the GM, Coach Pete Carroll, running backs coach [Deland] McCullough," Jeanty said after being selected. "But my impression of it has been great. It's a great city. There's a lot of history in the Raiders building, a lot of amazing players that went through there, a lot of winning and championships. So, I'm excited to go over there and be a part of that."

While ranked No. 3 on NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah's Top 150 prospects list, he's joining a Raiders team that ranked 32nd in rushing yards last season. He's the highest-drafted running back since reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley in 2018.

"I'm just thankful for this opportunity," Jeanty said. "I'm going to show everybody why the position is valuable and you know it is great to take a exceptional running back in the first round."

Many draft analysts predicted Carroll and Spytek might make this move, and it was ultimately the right projection. Jeanty has mentioned on numerous occasions he models his game after Marshawn Lynch, the five-time Pro Bowler that rushed for 58 touchdowns under Carroll with the Seattle Seahawks. Spytek and Carroll also brought in Chip Kelly to be their new offensive coordinator, who produced two 1,000-yard rushers with the CFP national champion Ohio State Buckeyes in 2024.

"It made a lot of sense at a position we need that we really value in Coach Carroll's system and Chip's system," Spytek told Raiders.com. "He's going to be a foundational piece for us."

The Raiders made a great impression on the No. 6 pick during his Top 30 visit with the Raiders. He was immediately bought into Carroll's competitive nature.

And in turn, Jeanty seemed to have made an equally great impression on the Silver and Black.

"[W]e kind of went in the meeting with all the guys they brought out, and he said, 'We like to compete here, that's what we're all about,'" Jeanty said. "And the first thing that we did was a [basketball] shooting competition, and I actually won. I think that might have sealed the deal."

"I think the first impression is very important," he later added. "So, off the rip they were able to see what kind of person I was when they first met me."

Jeanty joins a running back room with Raheem Mostert, Zamir White and Sincere McCormick, vying to reestablish the team's rushing attack and complement the passing offense with Geno Smith.

"Winning. That's what everybody wants to do," Jeanty said. "I can tell that's the culture there. That's the history of the Raiders organization is winning. I know they want to get back to that and including me, they're getting the right people to make that happen."