With the no. 6 pick in the draft, the Raiders landed arguably the most dynamic running back prospect to enter the NFL since Saquon Barkley.
Running back was a position of need for the Raiders, but there were still some who thought Pete Carroll and John Spytek would prioritize other positions in the first round of the draft.
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty is already a fan favorite among Raider fans and for anyone unhappy with the pick, it helps to know there were at least two teams trying hard to move ahead of the Raiders to get Jeanty.
The Chicago Bears interest in Jeanty was reported earlier in the week and now it’s been passed along by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that the Denver Broncos were another team calling around, looking to traded to a position where they could take Jeanty.
”The Broncos considered moving up in the first round for running back Ashton Jeanty. They called around to teams picking in the top 10. But the price simply would have been ‘too heavy’ for Denver’s liking, per a source,” Fowler reported on Wednesday. “And the team eyeing Jeanty (the Raiders at No. 6) was a division rival, thus not a likely trade partner.”
Ultimately, the Broncos were not able to keep Jeanty from ending up in Las Vegas, and the Raiders should get some satisfaction knowing they closed the door on any opportunity the Broncos had at bringing the best running back in the draft to Denver.
x: @raidersbeat