Ashton Jeanty draft trade would electrify Chiefs run game (but only at right price)

As the Kansas City Chiefs and their fans put the painful loss in Super Bowl LIX in the rearview mirror, it is time to start looking ahead to what K.C. needs to do in order to bring home another championship next season. Just last week I wrote about how the Super Bowl exposed Kansas City's need for a better run game, and after understanding that, it's now it's time to start looking at the specific running back prospects in this class.

Any conversation about the 2025 running back draft class has to start with Boise State's Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy and won the Maxwell and Doak Walker Awards after he rushed for an absurd 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns this season. That was an average of 185.8 yards and 2.1 touchdowns per game on the ground. It was one of the most dominating seasons by a rusher in college football history.

It's not just his numbers, either—his traits have evaluators sold on Jeanty as an elite pro prospect.  He currently sits at #5 on Dane Brugler's draft big board for the Athletic. Our own Price Carter has him at #7 on the Arrowhead Addict Big Board. If you're more of an analytics person, Pro Football Focus has him at #5 on their big board as well. So the question isn't if Jeanty is worthy of a first round pick (he is), but if he would be worth the kind of trade-up it would take to acquire him.

Before I give you my definitive answer to that question, let's take a look at what makes Jeanty such an elite prospect.

Ashton Jeanty - 2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Weaknesses

Ashton Jeanty doesn't have any real weaknesses—just areas where he could improve or where he's good but not great. The most common critique is that he isn't strong in pass protection. That's true, but since Boise State typically wanted him in play as an offensive weapon, he hasn't had much practice at it. His compact build and competitive attitude give him two of the main traits needed to be a good pass protector. He's not guaranteed to improve in this area, but unlike some backs who lack the mental or physical makeup to get the job done, Jeanty has potential.

Jeanty also doesn't have a ton of experience catching passes. He had 80 career receptions in three seasons compared to his 750 carries. He looked solid catching the ball, and it's definitely not a weakness, but he's more elite as a runner than as a receiver. Honestly, his biggest "weakness" might be that he enters the NFL with 750 career carries already. Since running backs tend to break down earlier than players at other positions, some teams may hesitate to use an early first-round pick on a back with that much wear and tear.

Strengths

Ashton Jeanty has three absolute superpowers as a running back, and they should all translate to the NFL.

First, his thick, compact frame gives him some of the best contact balance I've ever seen in a running back prospect. Seriously, he bounces off defenders like a human bumper car. It's absurd. You can see a couple of examples of what I'm talking about from just one game in Dane Brugler’s post below.

The second superpower that Jeanty has is his vision. You might think that someone with his insane missed tackle numbers (151 just last season) is simply running through defenders, but Jeanty sees the field incredibly well. He consistently finds openings or angles where defenders are more likely to bounce off him than stop him. He's patient and finds cracks in the defense regularly.

His third superpower is his jump cut. Some say he has elite agility, but it's just one elite move. That’s not to say he has bad agility, but when I watched him, I saw the vast majority of his success come from some combination of his vision, contact balance/breaking tackle ability, and his jump cut. He sets defenders up so well and then, at the last second, jump cuts sideways into an open hole, where the nearest defender—who thought he had him squared up—ends up bouncing off him at a bad angle.

If you've only watched Jeanty's highlight reel and his countless long breakaway runs, you might think that he is an elite breakaway speed back. It’s not that Jeanty is slow by any means—he has good burst and decent top speed once he hits the open field—but that’s not where he’s special. He racks up breakaway runs because his vision shows him where the opening is, and the only guys close enough to stop him just bounce off. Then, in the open field, he has enough speed to make the defense pay. This isn’t a Jamaal Charles-type of back. He’s a big-play back because he finds the best angles and then breaks the tackles that would otherwise prevent a big play.

Is an Ashton Jeanty trade worth it for the Chiefs?

Yes and no—depending on the situation.

Jeanty is universally viewed as one of the top ten prospects in this draft class. If the Chiefs wanted to guarantee they got him, they would have to move from pick 31 up into the top ten. That’s a trade you only make for a quarterback. Maybe you make that kind of deal for an elite left tackle or pass rusher, but you simply don’t give up the massive draft capital it would take to get up that high for a running back, even if he is amazing.

That said, you never know what draft day will bring. We’ve seen talented players fall before. If other teams decide not to use a first-round pick on a running back or if his high college carry total scares some teams off and he falls to around pick 20, then I would be all for Brett Veach making a move and landing a special talent at running back to pair with Patrick Mahomes.

One of the best ways to judge a move is by how other teams would react if it happened. If the Chiefs moved up about ten spots and picked Jeanty, the rest of the NFL would freak out. Right now, defenses focus entirely on stopping Mahomes and the passing game. If they suddenly had to account for a back like Jeanty, defending the Chiefs would become almost impossible.

So, should the Chiefs trade up into the top ten to take Ashton Jeanty? No—the price is just too high. However, if he were to slide out of the teens, he would absolutely be worth it. I know some would oppose taking a running back in the first round at all, let alone giving up an extra pick or two to trade up, but Jeanty is special enough to justify it. If the Chiefs could land a reliable left tackle in free agency and then add Jeanty, their offense could be the best it has been in years.

So, what do you think, Chiefs fans? Are you a big Ashton Jeanty fan? Would you be in favor of a trade-up if he slides (even if that’s unlikely)? Do you agree that no running back is worth trading up from 31 into the top ten for? I’d love to read your thoughts in the comments below.