Ashton Jeanty is a name you’ll hear early on draft night. Yes, the Boise State star is the top running back in the 2025 class—no questions asked. Right now, in a league that’s been hesitant to spend high picks on backs, Jeanty is breaking that trend. To be honest, his talent is too big to ignore, and it’s only a matter of time before he hears his name called.
Ashton Jeanty knows exactly what he brings to the table—no matter where he lands in the 2025 NFL Draft. Here, the 21-year-old made his case loud and clear in an open letter to NFL GMs. He even pointed to Saquon Barkley and the Eagles as a blueprint. “Most people, they watched the Eagles win the Super Bowl a couple of months ago, they watched Saquon run through everyone in the playoffs, and they thought to themselves, This is amazing. I watched it and I thought something different. I thought, That can be me,” wrote Jeanty. So, the confidence? Through the roof. And it’s backed by talent.
Simply put, Ashton Jeanty left no doubts after a monster 2024 season. With 374 carries for 2,601 yards and 29 TDs, he proved he’s built for the big stage. Explosive, durable, and deadly in open space—he’s a day-one threat in any NFL offense. Right now, as the 2025 NFL Draft kicks off on April 24, Jeanty has made his intentions clear: he’s ready to shine on Sundays.
On The Rich Eisen Show, Ashton Jeanty gave fans a peek behind the curtain of his NFL Draft journey. When Eisen asked, “Who have you spoken to, Ashton, from the NFL? What teams?” Jeanty didn’t hesitate and replied, “So, I’ve spoken to a lot of teams… the Raiders, the Bears, Broncos, Falcons, Seahawks. I mean, a whole lot of them.” Eisen followed up and asked, “You spoken to the Jets? Have the Jets spoken to you?” Jeanty kept it real, and said, “Uh, I haven’t spoken to the Jets.” And when asked about New England—”Have you spoken to the Patriots?“—Jeanty confirmed, “I spoke to them at the Combine.”
When plenty of NFL teams lined up to talk to Ashton Jeanty, Rich Eisen zeroed in on one in particular. “What about the Dallas Cowboys? Have you spoken to the Dallas Cowboys?” asked Eisen. Then, Jeanty replied, “Yeah, just a little bit.” Eisen followed up and asked, “Where did that take place, speaking of the Dallas Cowboys?” Jeanty confirmed that it happened “down here in Dallas.” That might be the perfect setup—because Jeanty’s place just might be down in Dallas.
But he’s not the only name on the Dallas Cowboys’ radar. With Cowboys GM Jerry Jones focused on both sides of the ball, the team is also eyeing a defensive lineman, a tackle machine from Ole Miss. NFL draft insider James Layton posted, “Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen is taking a top 30 pre-draft visit with the #Cowboys.” You know, pairing Walter Nolen , who’s got 114 total tackles, with Micah Parsons could bring chaos for QBs—and if Jeanty lands there too, Dallas might just be building something special.
But when it came to the Cowboys, Ashton Jeanty didn’t dodge the moment. Rich Eisen asked the big one: “What would it mean for you to be drafted by the Dallas Cowboys?” Jeanty didn’t hesitate and said, “I think it would be a great opportunity. It would be awesome because I grew up here. You know, a lot of people would love to play for their… hometown team where they grew up a little bit, played high school football… I think it’ll be a great opportunity to play for any team in the National Football League.”
Honestly, the love for his hometown is real. But so is the respect for every NFL jersey. You can say, Jeanty’s heart may be in Dallas, but his game is built for Sundays anywhere. Here, Eisen kept it real, diving deeper into the Cowboys’ connection. “I know, should you be drafted by a team other than Dallas, you know, you don’t want to be on the record saying, ‘Hey, that would really be special,'” said Eisen. But then he dug into Jeanty’s roots, stating, “For a kid growing up the way you did, to go to Idaho, make your bones, and then play with the star on the side of your helmet—were you watching the Cowboys as a kid, Ashton?”
Here, Jeanty responded honestly, saying, “Not like as a young kid, just ’cause I grew up all over. But it was more of kind of when I got to Texas. I mean, obviously, everybody here’s a Cowboys fan, um, in this area at least. So, just kind of, you know, seeing it, being around it, that type of thing.” Hence, his connection to the Cowboys wasn’t immediate, but once in Texas, the blue and silver star became part of the fabric. Now, it could just be his future.
Now, as Jeanty’s future begins to take shape, a former Cowboys legend made a heartfelt exit from the game, bidding farewell with an emotional retirement announcement.
As Ashton Jeanty’s journey begins, another ends in Dallas Cowboys
On Tuesday, the Cowboys gave fans a heartfelt update: Tyron Smith is officially hanging up the cleats. The longtime protector of Dak Prescott had already announced his retirement this offseason. But now, he’s coming home. The 34-year-old tackle will sign a one-day contract to retire as a Cowboy. A classy move, fully backed by Jerry Jones. However, drafted in 2011, Smith gave Dallas 12 solid seasons before spending his final year with Aaron Rodgers and the Jets. Now, he rides off into the sunset—forever a Cowboy.
After Tyron Smith’s retirement news hit, Dak Prescott didn’t waste time showing love. He dropped a heartfelt message on Instagram, writing, “I always got your back, as you had mine.” You can say it’s a true brotherhood. Why not? Over the years, Tyron shared the locker room with legends—Rodgers, Tony Romo, and, of course, Prescott. So, when he left for the Jets in 2024, his goodbye to Cowboys Nation was emotional. “Thirteen years sure is a long time to sum up in one short letter… it’s been a long and wild ride filled with plenty of ups and downs,” said Tyron. Honestly, a wild ride, no doubt—and one Dallas will never forget.
For Tyron Smith, retiring without a final game after 12 faithful seasons under Jerry Jones wouldn’t feel right. So, the Cowboys made it official. A one-day contract. A symbolic homecoming. The perfect send-off for a franchise legend who gave his all in the trenches.