Las Vegas Raiders

Ashton Jeanty is going to wear his college number in the NFL as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Raiders confirmed on Friday that Jeanty will use No. 2 heading into his rookie season.

It's official ✌️ Deuces up@AshtonJeanty2 | #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/mxSZxftzcA

— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) May 2, 2025

Jeanty has used the No. 2 dating back to his time at Lone Star High School. He carried it over to college during his three years at Boise State.

There was some uncertainty if Jeanty would be able to retain the number after being selected by the Raiders with the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

Kicker Daniel Carlson has used the No. 2 jersey since the Raiders moved to Vegas prior to the 2020 season.

Not being able to retain the number might have required a lot of additional work for Jeanty. His social media profiles, including X and Instagram, include "Deuce" in the header.

There's no indication at this point if Jeanty negotiated a deal with Carlson or if the veteran kicker was willing to give up the number without any compensation.

Carlson has worn Nos. 7 and 8 at different points in his NFL career. He used No. 38 during his four years at Auburn from 2013 to 2017.

The next test for Jeanty will be to bring better luck to the jersey number than past Raiders players who have worn No. 2.

The last player to use the number for the Raiders before Carlson was A.J. McCarron in 2018. Other previous users of the No. 2 include JaMarcus Russell, Terrelle Pryor and Aaron Brooks.

That trio of quarterbacks combined to go 10-33 in 43 starts with the Raiders.

Jeanty has the potential to be a transformative player in the Raiders' offense. He is coming off a historic 2024 season at Boise State with 2,601 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns on 374 carries to finish second in Heisman voting.

The Raiders didn't have a player run for more than 420 yards last season. They had a total of 10 rushing touchdowns. Jeanty had more yards (459) and nearly as many rushing touchdowns (nine) in his first two games during the 2024 campaign.

The Las Vegas Raiders may have wanted to steer clear of any quarterback drama when they passed on Colorado's Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL draft.

The Athletic's Mike Sando spoke to an NFL executive who believes Raiders head coach Pete Carroll went out of his way to avoid undermining Geno Smith in the way the Atlanta Falcons did by using a first-round pick on Michael Penix Jr. after signing Kirk Cousins last offseason.

"Atlanta was able to do that to Cousins because they didn't have a previous relationship," the executive said. "For Pete, let's face it: How long is he going to coach that team? Does he really want to start his last chance by alienating the quarterback he just got?"

Las Vegas did select a quarterback, but taking North Dakota State's Cam Miller in the sixth round does little to shake up the depth chart.

More broadly, the executive interviewed by Sando likely hit on one of the reasons why Sanders fell to the fifth round.

The Athletic's Jeff Howe called it "the backup dilemma."

"Quite frankly, while many teams absolutely place a priority on the backup quarterback position, it's usually better when the player is more anonymous than not," Howe wrote. "The face of the franchise is, well, supposed to be the face of the franchise."

The circus surrounding Tim Tebow on the New York Jets in 2012 is one of the most obvious examples of how having a famous backup QB can backfire.

The Raiders gave up a third-rounder to acquire Smith and then handed him a two-year, $75 million extension. At least for the next season or two, the two-time Pro Bowler is firmly entrenched as their QB1.

That wouldn't have stopped some Raiders fans and casual NFL observers from calling for Sanders to take over if Smith had a bad start or two. The same would be true if Las Vegas had picked Jaxson Dart, Tyler Shough or Jalen Milroe (all of whom went in the first three rounds) at some point in the draft.

Betting on Smith might prove to be the wrong call for the Raiders, but it's the path they have chosen.

Shedeur Sanders was seen reacting to the Las Vegas Raiders passing on him with back-to-back picks in the back end of the third round on Friday in a new video from Well Off Media (23-minute mark).

Sanders was captured in a video from Well Off, a media company started by his brother, Deion Sanders Jr., which has routinely featured the exploits of Colorado head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders and his two football-playing sons, Shedeur and safety Shilo Sanders.

The Raiders selected Texas Tech guard Caleb Rogers with the No. 98 pick and then William & Mary offensive tackle Charles Grant one choice later.

After that pick, Sanders said, "Well, that's a wrap for Day 2, folks."

Sanders seemingly had a few potential landing spots as the draft approached, including the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers and Las Vegas Raiders.

All of those teams have passed on him multiple times. The Giants, Browns and Saints have all chosen other quarterbacks. Pittsburgh, Las Vegas and Cleveland had not through three rounds, but the Raiders notably passed on him on five different occasions. They did so again at pick No. 108 in the fourth round as well after adding Tennessee wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr.

It's a stunning fall for a player that's largely been seen as a first-round prospect through the pre-draft process. He did slip as the weeks and months passed, going from a potential top-three pick to a Round 1 choice (with opinions varying on his landing spot). Sanders still landed No. 23 on the final B/R NFL Scouting Department big board.

But now three full rounds have passed with Sanders waiting for his next NFL home. Simply put, it's a stunning fall for a player largely seen as a first- or second-round talent.

The Las Vegas Raiders could be the team that adds Shedeur Sanders in Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft.

During an appearance on NFL Draft Kickoff, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the Raiders are a "legitimate" landing spot for the Colorado quarterback.

From NFL Draft Kickoff: If the #Raiders don’t take Shedeur Sanders, it could be a long wait for the #Colorado QB. pic.twitter.com/g1Ya0HXxm5

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 25, 2025

"I do view the Las Vegas Raiders early in this second round as a legitimate possibility," Rapoport said. "This is something they are discussing today and have been kicking around."

Sanders was rated as the No. 23 player and the No. 2 quarterback in the draft class by Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department. He threw for 4,134 yards with 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2024 and helped lead Colorado to a 9-4 record.

Despite these rankings and production, Sanders fell out of the first round. Two quarterbacks, Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart, went in the first round and Sanders will hope his name is called early on Friday and be the third off of the board.

The Raiders hold the 37th and 68th picks on Day 2. The team selected running back Ashton Jeanty with the sixth pick in the draft and do have Geno Smith slated to start at quarterback in 2024. However, developing Sanders under Smith could be an intriguing option and not having to use a first round pick to do this could be a great opportunity for Las Vegas.

Even before Ashton Jeanty plays a snap in the NFL, he is going to be the second-highest-paid running back in the league when he signs his rookie contract with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Per NFL cap expert Andrew Brandt, Jeanty's rookie deal as the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft will contain approximately $32 million in guaranteed money.

As the 6th overall pick, Ashton Jeanty will make a fully guaranteed contract of roughly $32 million.
That will make him the 2nd-highest paid NFL running back, in terms of guaranteed money.
From a Cap/contract standpoint, picking a RB this high is a low value proposition.

— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) April 25, 2025

Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley is the only running back with more guaranteed money, making $36 million after he signed a two-year extension in March.

Even though Jeanty is almost universally regarded as one of the best players in this year's draft class, there was still some debate about whether investing a high draft pick on him was a great use of resources given the positional value of running backs.

The Raiders, in particular, aren't necessarily in the best position to fully maximize Jeanty's talent right away. Their offensive line is a work-in-progress after ranking in the bottom half of the league in run- and pass-block win rates last season.

A counterargument to that is Las Vegas still have six more rounds, including the No. 37 overall pick in Round 2, in this draft to address its offensive line. Even though it won't get a premium talent like it could have with the sixth pick, there are still quality players available to choose from.

It wasn't hard to make the connections between Jeanty and the Raiders. New head coach Pete Carroll made no secret of his desire to have a run-oriented offense during his tenure with the Seattle Seahawks.

As soon as Jeanty cited Marshawn Lynch as one of the players he models his game after, the idea of Carroll and the Raiders not taking him if he was still on the board seemed silly.

Another factor to consider, too, is sometimes drafting cool players is fun. It may not be the responsible thing to do from a roster-building standpoint, but a skill-position group with Jeanty, Brock Bowers and Geno Smith is very exciting for a franchise coming off a 4-13 record last season.

Even though the addition of Jeanty came at a high cost in terms of the positional value of his contract, no one will care if he's running for 1,400 yards and forcing defenses to think about him like they do Barkley or Christian McCaffrey when he was at his peak with the San Francisco 49ers.

The Las Vegas Raiders have selected Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty with the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

All-American. Heisman finalist. Named best RB in college football.

Raiders got a GEM in Ashton Jeanty 💎 pic.twitter.com/2wJJrxFnGS

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 25, 2025

Pete Carroll and the Raiders got their new Beast Mode 💪 pic.twitter.com/pL0SUvz2X1

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) April 25, 2025

Afterward, Jeanty spoke with NFL Network's Jamie Erdahl, who asked him what it will be like playing in the "entertainment capital" of the world. He provided this response.

The @Raiders got a good one in RB Ashton Jeanty 👏 @JamieErdahl

📺: 2025 #NFLDraft – on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPluspic.twitter.com/Pr0kYiZrQE

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) April 25, 2025

"I mean, you've seen it, the energy," Jeanty began. "You've seen the dance moves. I'm ready to go entertain each and every week on Sunday."

Jeanty added while speaking with reporters that he's "super duper excited" to join the Raiders.

"I gotta shout out Mark Davis, Spytek, Pete Carroll," Jeanty said. "There is lot of history in the Raiders building and I am excited to be a part of that."

Jeanty said he knew there was "no way the Raiders weren't going to pick me" after Spytek's son threatened to leave the family if they didn't.

— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) April 25, 2025

Jeanty starred for Boise State over three seasons. He took college football by storm in 2024, amassing 2,739 yards and 30 touchdowns for a Broncos team that earned the College Football Playoff's No. 3 seed.

Jeanty rushed for 2,601 yards and 29 scores on 374 carries (7.0 YPC), running for He added 23 catches for 138 yards and another score.

For his career, Jeanty compiled 5,631 total yards and 56 touchdowns. He rushed for 4,769 yards and 50 touchdowns (6.4 yards per carry) while adding 80 catches for 862 yards and six scores.

The final B/R NFL Scouting Department big board had Jeanty slated as the No. 6 overall player and the top running back.

That's no surprise given how sensational Jeanty played in school. He finished his career as a Heisman finalist, the Maxwell Award winner and a consensus All-American.

And now Las Vegas has chosen Jeanty early in the draft as the engine of their offense. They can certainly hope that Jeanty is the driving and galvanizing force behind brighter days. He certainly has the talent to get it done.

Jeanty joins a Las Vegas team under new leadership with general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll at the helm.

Carroll, notably, once coached a Seattle Seahawks team that greatly benefitted from the exploits of five-time Pro Bowl running back Marshawn Lynch, who led the 2013 'Hawks in yards from scrimmage en route to a Super Bowl victory.

Now Carroll is in Vegas, taking over a 4-13 team that just finished bottom eight in both points allowed and points scored.

So the Raiders could have gone numerous ways, but having the chance to take Jeanty was too enticing here. Las Vegas just had a brutal rushing season, running for only 3.6 yards per carry. No player on the team ran for more than 420 rushing yards.

Simply put, the Raiders needed a true RB1 and superstar to build the offense around, and now they have that player in Jeanty.

Pete Carroll is waiting for something to happen ahead of Thursday's NFL Draft.

The new Las Vegas Raiders head coach posted a meme from "The Office" showing several characters in a standoff, seemingly indicating that there's a similar standoff happening between teams in the hours leading up to the draft.

pic.twitter.com/l3M2ynbl03

— Pete Carroll (@PeteCarroll) April 24, 2025

Before posting the standoff meme, Carroll posted that there are "draft clues on the way," perhaps indicating that he'll give fans an idea of who the Raiders are drafting before it happens.

Draft clues on the way!! #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/XRrixuJqo9

— Pete Carroll (@PeteCarroll) April 24, 2025

Carroll's first clue included a GIF from the movie "Sinners."

Draft clue #1 #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/J24VJrlWFM

— Pete Carroll (@PeteCarroll) April 24, 2025

Las Vegas has the No. 6 pick in Thursday's draft, and Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department projects the Raiders to take offensive tackle Armand Membou from Missouri.

While they have the sixth pick right now, there's always the possibility of the Raiders trading either up or down before the start of the draft.

According to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, "most" teams that hold top-10 picks, besides the Tennessee Titans, are open to trading those selections. Russini added that the Jacksonville Jaguars and Raiders "have expressed interest in moving up" if the player they want is still on the board.

Whether Las Vegas will make a move before draft time remains to be seen, as does the meaning behind Carroll's posts.

What is clear is the Raiders are hoping to land a player who can give them a boost in the rebuilding process. Las Vegas has had a fruitful offseason that saw it land quarterback Geno Smith and sign star pass rusher Maxx Crosby to an extension, and drafting the right player is the next challenge.

In his first NFL draft as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders' ownership group, Tom Brady is expected to have a hand in what the team does with the No. 6 overall pick on Thursday night.

According to The Ringer's Todd McShay, Brady is "very much involved" in the Raiders' process with their first-round selection.

McShay projected the Raiders to select Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. at No. 6, noting Brady and general manager John Spytek are "big on culture" and Banks is regarded as one of the "highest-character players" in this year's class.

Since being approved as a partial owner of the Raiders in October, Brady has taken a hands-on approach to key decisions for the organization. He was reportedly a key voice in Pete Carroll being hired as head coach in January.

"Tom Brady wanted to hire somebody that he had respect for..

The Raiders wanted somebody that can turn around their culture and build the program..

Pete Carroll is incredible and he has so much energy" ~ @AdamSchefter #PMSLive https://t.co/sOkUhgIOWY pic.twitter.com/RwvjZITCKY

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 24, 2025

This offseason has been very encouraging for the Raiders. In addition to hiring Carroll, they upgraded at quarterback by acquiring Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks. Maxx Crosby quickly put an end to any trade speculation by signing a three-year, $106.5 million extension in January.

There's still a lot of work for Spytek and the front office to do for the Raiders to become a playoff contender in the AFC, but their situation is the best it's been in years.

This is before the Raiders make their first pick in the 2025 draft. They could go in any number of directions. B/R's NFL Scouting Department is projecting them to trade down for the No. 9 selection and take Michigan cornerback Will Johnson.

It's still unclear how effective Brady will be as an influence on the organization, but there's little doubt his voice is definitely being heard by everyone else with the Raiders right now.

We will learn a lot about what Brady thinks about this Raiders roster based on what they do in the first round of the draft on Thursday night.

The Las Vegas Raiders added Kansas CB Mello Dotson as an undrafted free agent after the 2025 NFL draft.

Dotson is a long, active cornerback with extensive experience. His combination of length, ball skills, and competitive play has made him a key player in the Jayhawks' secondary. His ability to play in both man and zone coverage makes him an intriguing prospect for teams seeking versatility and physicality in their defensive backfield.

In coverage, Dotson displays solid footwork and positioning, which enable him to split threats and maintain leverage effectively. His ball skills are among his strongest traits; he tracks the ball well in the air and has the hands to secure interceptions, evidenced by his impressive 2024 stat line. Dotson's length and use of his hands in press coverage allow him to disrupt routes early and stay in the receiver's hip pocket. However, some tightness in his hips can make transitions less fluid, leading to initial separation, particularly on double moves or sharp breaks. His eye discipline also needs improvement, as he can get caught staring into the backfield, causing him to lose track of his assignments in coverage.

Dotson's aggressive mindset shines in the run game. He quickly triggers downhill to support the run, showing a willingness to take on blockers and engage physically. His long arms allow him to disrupt and shed blocks effectively when positioned correctly. However, his lack of ideal functional strength can occasionally lead to struggles against stronger blockers on the edge. Dotson also takes risks by shooting inside gaps, which can leave running lanes open when he fails to secure the tackle. While his willingness is evident, his tackling technique—often relying on ankle-biting or diving at legs—can lead to inconsistencies, particularly against larger ball carriers.

Melo Dotson projects as a fourth-round pick with the potential to carve out a role as a versatile rotational cornerback in the NFL. His length, ball skills, and competitive nature make him a valuable asset in zone-heavy schemes, though he has the physical tools to contribute in man coverage with refinement. While he will need to address his tackling consistency and tighten his transitions, Dotson's ability to create turnovers and compete in the run game makes him a high-level developmental prospect with starting upside.

MEASUREMENT AND WORKOUT RESULTS

HEIGHT: 6'1"

WEIGHT: 192

HAND: 8½"

ARM: 31½"

WINGSPAN: 77⅞”

40-YARD DASH: 4.57

VERTICAL: 34.5"

BROAD: 10'3"

POSITIVES

— Active cornerback who shows ability to play in both zone and man coverage. Plays with good leverage and awareness, splitting his threats well with good positioning.

— Shows very good footwork in his backpedal with his feet underneath of him and ability to quickly get his plant foot down.

— Very good ball skills. Tracks the ball well and has the hands to catch the ball away from his body.

— Aggressive and physical playing the run. Takes on blockers and triggers quickly to the run.

NEGATIVES

— Lacks the desired functional strength to take on and control blockers on the edge. Has shown to get bumped off at the top of routes in coverage.

— Shows a little bit of tightness which can lead to initial separation downfield. This also gives him some difficulty to cover double moves.

— Inconsistent eye discipline due to him staring in the backfield and losing track of his threats, putting him in bad positions.

NOTES

— Games Started: 46

— Full name Ra'Mello Dotson

— Brother, Meiko Dotson Jr. played at Florida Atlantic and Florida State

— 3-Star recruit in the 2020 class, per 247Sports

GRADE: 6.6 (Potential Role Player — 4th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 155

POSITION RANK: CB19

PRO COMPARISON: Kindle Vildor

Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings

The Las Vegas Raiders selected South Carolina DL Tonka Hemingway with the No. 135 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

Tonka Hemingway is an impressive athlete whose quickness, agility and acceleration off the line of scrimmage stand out on tape. That gives him the potential to develop into a disruptive player in the NFL, especially as a pass-rusher.

However, Hemingway's hand usage in both phases of the game needs work, and his pad level becomes an issue in the running game. While those are fixable problems, he's a fifth-year senior who still has these technical flaws. He'll also turn 24 about halfway through his rookie season, lowering his ceiling.

Overall, the former Gamecock is worth taking in the later rounds of the draft, as he could develop into a solid rotational interior defender in the NFL due to his athletic potential.

MEASUREMENT AND WORKOUT RESULTS

HEIGHT: 6'3"

WEIGHT: 284

HAND: 9”

ARM: 33”

WINGSPAN: 80¼”

40-YARD DASH: 5.01

3-CONE: 7.36

SHUTTLE: 4.48

VERTICAL: 32"

BROAD: 9'4"

POSITIVES

— Good overall athlete for an interior defensive lineman. Earned a 9.46 RAS at the NFL combine.

— Quick off the ball, reacts to the snap well and has good acceleration out of his stance.

— Has the quickness and agility to beat offensive linemen across their face as a pass-rusher if he improves his use of hands.

— Flashed a solid arm-over move to win as a pass-rusher and defeat blocks in the running game when linemen lean.

— Can occasionally collapse the pocket with a bull rush with his combination of strength and a good get-off.

NEGATIVES

— Plays high and struggles to sink his hips to anchor against down blocks and double-teams.

— Often gets caught with his hands down as a run defender and gets stuck on blocks.

— Will miss tackles in the backfield or near the line of scrimmage because he lunges and doesn't bring his feet with him when tackling.

— Subpar accuracy with his hands as a pass-rusher.

— Lacks a pass-rush plan. Doesn't show any countermoves if his initial move doesn't work.

NOTES

— Born Oct. 31, 2001

— 4-star recruit in the 2020 class, per 247Sports

— Injuries: 2024 (Undisclosed, missed spring practice)

— 2022 Second-Team All-SEC

— 2023 Second-Team All-SEC

— 2024 Third-Team All-SEC

— Four-time SEC Honor Roll

GRADE: 5.7 (Backup/Draftable — 6th-7th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 274

POSITION RANK: DL28

PRO COMPARISON: Moro Ojomo

Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder