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ESPN analyst Louis Riddick makes stunning prediction about Ashton Jeanty before NFL Draft

FaceProfileby: Thomas Goldkamp04/02/25
Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty
© Troy Babbitt-Imagn Images

In a SportsCenter Special on Tuesday night, ESPN analyst Louis Riddick made a remarkably bold claim. It centered on Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.

In evaluating the merits of picking Jeanty in the first half of the draft, Riddick name-dropped an all-time NFL great. He put a seemingly untouchable record squarely in Jeanty’s sights for his rookie season.

“He gets to a place that has a top-10 offensive line in terms of run block win rate, a team that can actually move the line of scrimmage like I believe the Chicago Bears will be able to do this year, I think this kid will challenge, if you give him the touches, which he is more than capable of handling, he will challenge Eric Dickerson‘s rookie rushing record,” Riddick said. “He’ll challenge 1,700, 1,800 yards. He has that kind of build and that kind of stamina to do it.”

The ESPN panel, which included famed analyst Mel Kiper, noted Ashton Jeanty is likely to go somewhere between picks No. 6 and No. 12. He’s that good.

His stint at Boise State said a whole lot. Jeanty was unstoppable, nearly winning the Heisman Trophy.

Ashton Jeanty ran for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns. He also caught 23 passes for 138 yards and a score. That’s monster productivity.

“Since the NFL now is an explosive play league, that’s what every offensive coordinator is after,” Riddick said. “You have to have them. That’s the way to flip a game on its head with a single play. If you’re looking at Ashton Jeanty and you think you figure this this year: 10 TDs of 50-plus, eight TDs of 60-plus. And a guy who averaged over 145 yards per game after first contact.”

Again, all the boxes are checked off for Ashton Jeanty to be the rare running back taken in the first round. Kiper offered up that only North Carolina‘s Omarion Hampton is close in terms of ability in this year’s draft.

So Jeanty will likely be off the board early. Riddick doesn’t see any other way.

“How can you pass up on this dude considering what he can bring to your offense from an explosive play standpoint, from a ball control standpoint?” Riddick said. “How can you pass up on him in the top 10? How could you?”