It’s too easy to get excited about a player who ended his most recent season breaking away from more tackles than any running back in the history of college football, in addition to totaling more yards after contact than any other college runner ever has. I mean, how do you not get excited about a player like that? Stars of the Las Vegas Raiders can’t seem to find an answer as they deliver high praise to Ashton Jeanty.
On Wednesday, Sin City All-Pros Brock Bowers and Maxx Crosby took to the media to give love to their rookie teammate. Neither have been able to find a flaw in Jeanty’s game just yet.
“He’s a beast,” Bowers said about his first impression of the 2025 NFL Draft’s sixth-overall selection. “He’s out there, he’s quick, he’s fast, he’s rocked up, he’s thick.”
That speed, quickness, and.. erm.. thickness are major components to the 152 forced missed tackles Jeanty was able to total in 2024–48 more than any runner in the FBS has recorded in a single season over the last decade. His 284 career forced missed tackles ranks first all-time, via Pro Football Focus‘ database.
Against Penn State, Jeanty was able to make 16 would-be tacklers miss. For perspective, no player in the entirety of the FBS was able to total more than 15 forced missed tackles in a game, in any week, against any school in the country this past season. That is, except for Jeanty himself, who accomplished this feat three on three occasions.
Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro edge rusher Maxx Crosby shares his own Ashton Jeanty praise
Does it come as any surprise that Maxx Crosby, the guy who openly chanted Jeanty’s name when the Raiders were on the clock at six via livestream, thinks quite highly of the Boise State alum?
Crosby, like Bowers, was also asked his thoughts on the 21-year-old runner. And Crosby, like Bowers, had nothing but great things to say about his now-teammate.
“He’s been awesome,” Crosby noted.
“Ashton’s a great kid. I’ve been able to know him before he got drafted here – we have some of the similar people around us. But he’s a great kid. Humble kid. I think just the fact that a kid like him could’ve went anywhere in the country and decided to stay at Boise State and have the best year I think a running back’s arguably ever had.
“[I] love the kid. He’s a h-ll of a worker, h-ll of a player. And I’m excited to be teammates with him.”
Right Crosby is about “The best year a running back’s arguably ever had,” too. What Jeanty was able to do during his 2024 campaign was nothing short of unbelievable. His 1,970 yards after contact alone, for example, was over 250 rushing yards than any running back in the FBS had in general–pre- and post-contact combined.
As it just so happens, we at The Raider Ramble have a full film breakdown of Ashton Jeanty for Raider Nation to watch. It covers a multitude of things such as Jeanty’s game, his historic season and collegiate career, his fit with the Raiders, how elite running backs in the National Football League produce behind less-than-ideal offensive lines, how Jeanty performed against “greater competition”, and more.
You can watch it by clicking here, or manually searching for Ramble Digital Media on YouTube.
*Top Photo: The Raider Ramble