If anyone ever needed more proof that football is about controlling the line of scrimmage, the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles are certainly a great example. Sparked by an incredible year by free-agent addition and former division rival Saquon Barkley, Nick Sirianni’s Super Bowl LIX champions overcame a 2-2 start to win 16 of their final 17 overall outings. That lone loss was to the Washington Commanders, a team the Birds rolled in the NFC Championship Game by a 55-23 score.
Led by Barkley, the Eagles finished second in the league in rushing yards per game. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Raiders averaged an NFL-low 79.8 yards per game on the ground. The club totaled 1,357 yards on the ground this past season. Keep in mind that one-time Raiders’ first-round pick Josh Jacobs, the NFL rushing leader in 2022 with the Silver and Black, ran for 1,329 yards in his first season with the Green Bay Packers.
The new sideline leader of the Silver and Black, Pete Carroll, knows what a consistent ground attack can do. It appears that new Raiders’ general manager feels the same way.
Raiders GM John Spytek says he is a believer in taking running backs high in the draft.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 18, 2025
Story via @ryanmcfadden_:https://t.co/SVEYyYeKe6
"I mean we just saw Saquon Barkley just change the Eagles in one year…," said John Spytek last week (via Ryan McFadden of ESPN). “There's certain ways to build a team, and I don't know where we got to a place where we don't feel like running backs are valued.” Of course, look no further than punishing workhorse Marshawn Lynch during his time with Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks.
There are a number of talented running backs available in this year’s draft pool. However, the most talked about prospect is Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty. In 2024, the Heisman Trophy runner-up totaled 374 carries for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns in 14 games. It is little wonder teams have fallen in love with the productive performer.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein summed up his scouting report on Jeanty with this note. ““This top-flight running back is capable of becoming the face of an offense in a league where the pendulum might be swinging back to the running game. Jeanty has future All-Pro talent.”
The Raiders are coming off a dismal 4-13 season. The team finished dead last in the AFC West, and failed to win a game vs. a divisional foes. The team has several new faces, including quarterback Geno Smith. If Carroll and company are going to fare better this season vs. the Chiefs, Chargers, and Broncos, they may need to secure the services of this former Bronco. Even if that means trading up from the sixth spot on Thursday evening.