The New Orleans Saints have a chance to land a playmaker in the 2025 NFL draft’s first round. Whether it’s Arizona State wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan or Boise State star running back Ashton Jeanty, or Penn State tight end Tyler Warren, Jeanty feels like the prospect likeliest to be available at ninth overall.
Kellen Moore gave a strong endorsement of Jeanty before he became the Saints head coach. He told reporters before the Super Bowl that Jeanty is “going to have a huge impact on this league.”
Outside of just projecting his future, Moore also explained what makes the Boise State running back a top prospect. Moore sees Jeanty as “a complete package” who can make plays on the ground and through the air.
We all know the Heisman trophy runner up as a strong runner, but he showed himself to be a capable receiver as a sophomore.
In 2023, Jeanty had 43 receptions for 569 yards and five touchdowns. Of course when you run for 2,601 yards, it’s hard to also be a big part of the passing game. It shouldn’t be forgotten Jeanty has more in his repertoire than being a stout rusher. What makes Jeanty a great runner, though?
“I think his patience and burst is really, really special,” Moore said. He also highlighted Jeanty for having, “great vision, I think, as a running back. Which is really, really important.”
Moore clearly likes Jeanty as a prospect (sharing an alma mater doesn’t hurt). That doesn’t mean the Saints will draft him in the first round if he’s there. What it does is give some level of insight on how the Saints head coach feels about a player in their draft range. Seeing that we may not get that insight on another player before the Saints make their pick, this is noteworthy.