Andrew Harbaugh
May 15, 2024 9:55 pm CT
Summer is the most pivotal part of scouting for both teams and fans. The idea is to educate yourself on the players who could be selected in next April’s draft and who could play for or against the Vikings.
The latter part is critical to our Summer scouting here on Vikings Wire.
The Minnesota Vikings and General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah only have three picks in the 2025 NFL Draft heading into the Summer. More could be acquired through trade or the compensatory variety, but for now, that is all the ammo they have.
The lack of draft picks means this series will focus on the players we are likely to play against or who could cause problems for the team in the future. Every position will be covered so that you, the reader, can be a complete NFL fan as much as you are a Vikings fan. Educating yourself on these prospects is critical to better understanding the offseason as a whole, and we feel we can fill in the gaps.
Player data
Oct 14, 2023; Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) flips the ball after his first quarter touchdown at Sonny Lubick Field at Canvas Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports
Ashton Jeanty
- Position: Running back
- School: Boise State
- Height: 5-9
- Weight: 215
- Year: Third year Junior
Player background
Syndication: The Coloradoan
- 4-star recruit according to 247 Sports
- Played baseball and track and field in high school
- Ran the 100m in 11.13 seconds and had a long jump of 23-3.75
- Mountain West Player of the Year in 2023
- First-team All-Mountain West in 2023
Notable career stats heading into 2024
Oct 14, 2023; Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) tried to avoid Colorado State Rams defensive back Dominic Morris (12) at Sonny Lubick Field at Canvas Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports
- 433 total touches
- 2,892 total yards
- 5.8 yards per rushing attempt
- 12.7 yards per reception
- 26 total touchdowns
Notable career PFF numbers
Nov 24, 2023; Boise, Idaho, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) carries the ball during the first half against the Air Force Falcons at Albertsons Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports
- 94.9 overall grade
- 94.6 rushing grade
- 39.7 breakaway run percentage (runs of 15+ yards)
- 4.25 yards after contact per attempt
Player strengths
Dec 2, 2023; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) carries the ball against the UNLV Rebels in the second half during the Mountain West Championship at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Contact Balance
Ashton Jeanty has a short, compact build that allows him to absorb contact and dish it out when needed. When you watch him, he doesn’t shy away from contact unless he sees a hole, and doing so allows him to pick up extra yards. Above, we highlighted that he picks up over four extra yards on average after contact, he doesn’t do that without the next level contact balance he displays.
Receiving Ability
The NFL uses running backs in a dual-threat manner in its present game. Jeanty shows he can be a complete back in terms of being a threat on the ground and in the passing attack. His route running needs some work, but his contact balance allows him to withstand pressure during routes or immediately after making a catch. Again, he averages over 12 yards per game while getting a lot of targets behind the line of scrimmage proving he makes a lot out of nothing as a receiver.
Durability
Jeanty currently has 433 touches in his college career as he heads into the 2024 season and after he could be looking at over 600. Despite all that usage, he has shown that he can handle that workload and not miss a beat. Could the wheels fall off? Of course, they can for any player but Jeanty has the build that I believe to be able to support the extra work that position requires.
Player summary
Dec 16, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) stiff arms UCLA Bruins defensive lineman Jake Heimlicher (51) in the first quarter during the Starco Brands LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
Ashton Jeanty is a tough study but a fun one at the same time. I really enjoy watching him work in space and when he is asked to improvise because his best traits are showcased. What isn’t great to see is his struggles against stiffer defenses and the lack of vision at times. He is very hot and cold through two seasons but the good outweighs the bad and then some. I like Jeanty to be a rotational back in the NFL with some boom performances that make the bust performances be forgotten.
