Raiders may have preferred 2 prospects over Ashton Jeanty in NFL draft - suong

The Las Vegas Raiders landed one of the top prospects in the 2025 NFL draft when the team took Boise State superstar Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 overall pick.

But as it turns out, Jeanty may not have been the team's top choice in the first round. According to On SI's Hondo Carpenter, the Raiders likely preferred both Miami quarterback Cam Ward and Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter over Jeanty.

“I can tell you this. I do not believe they would have taken Jeanty if they could have gotten Cam Ward. And I do not believe they would have taken Jeanty had they could have gotten Abdul Carter,” he said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast.

Carpenter goes on to say that Carter was probably the first choice for Las Vegas, followed by Ward and then Jeanty. However, he also notes that the Raiders would have been happy with any of the three, so they're certainly not upset with coming away with the most prized running back prospect since Saquon Barkley.

Carpenter also thinks that Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham or Georgia edge rusher Jalon Walker would've been candidates for the Raiders if Jeanty was not on the board in their spot.

“I think if they walked away with Cam Ward, if they walked away with Abdul Carter, they walked away with Jeanty, they were going to be happy. I think they would have taken Abdul and then Cam Ward.” Carpenter added. “And if Jeanty wouldn’t have been there, you know, a Mason Graham, a Jalon Walker… [but] probably Jalon.”

There is no mention of Travis Hunter here, which is at least somewhat surprising considering the Raiders had needs at wide receiver and cornerback. Hunter, who was also widely considered the best prospect in the draft, would've checked both boxes off for Las Vegas.

Carter was widely considered one of the can't-miss prospects in this year's class and would have been quite the intriguing addition opposite Maxx Crosby. He may have given the Raiders an elite pass-rushing trio, along with Crosby and Malcolm Koonce.

The Raiders didn't take a quarterback until the sixth round, so clearly they weren't enamored with the class. But the team could still use a quarterback for the future considering Geno Smith is set to turn 35 and can be cut in 2027. Adding Ward would've given Las Vegas exactly what they're missing.

Preferring a quarterback or edge rusher over a running back isn't exactly surprising. After all, those are two of the most premium positions in the NFL.

But drafting Jeanty still checked a major box for Las Vegas, a team that didn't have a sure starter at running back for 2025 and beyond. And, Jeanty is the kind of talent that can completely transform an offense.