Being considered a top candidate in the NFL Draft means your life is under a magnifying glass. Every part of your persona, from your football skills to your physical attributes, is dissected by NFL scouts who are looking for any reason to either applaud or criticize you. For Ashton Jeanty, the talented running back from Boise State, this level of scrutiny has triggered a spotlight on his height.
Standing at 5’9″, Jeanty isn’t exactly towering next to some of the league’s giants. Naturally, this has led to lingering questions about whether his build can withstand the rigors of professional football. Jeanty, however, is not fazed by this chatter. He believes these worries are overblown, especially when you consider his stellar performance during his senior season with the Broncos. In a recent media engagement, he shared his thoughts candidly, addressing the height debate head-on:
“I proved myself on the collegiate level. That’s why I didn’t get recruited by, per se, those bigger schools. They didn’t think I had the size or the speed. I don’t think the height thing really makes sense because there are a lot of players in the NFL, some even shorter than me, who have made a great impact.”
Jeanty’s confident assertion reflects a broader trend in the NFL, where teams are increasingly favoring players who are shorter but more agile and quick. He points out that the game is evolving, embracing athletes who can be elusive and make swift moves rather than merely relying on sheer bulk. Notably, he was a runner-up for the prestigious Heisman Award in 2024, a testament to his ability and a hint that he embodies the future of football.
Despite his shorter stature, Jeanty has something many athletes would envy—he weighed in at a solid 216 lbs in his senior year, which is right in line with the average weight of running backs across the league, approximately 215 lbs. This suggests that he has more than enough strength to handle the tough demands of a long NFL season. Look at Detroit Lions’ standout Jahmyr Gibbs, for instance. Also standing at 5’9”, but weighing in at a lighter 198 lbs, Gibbs proved that you can excel and even top the league in rushing touchdowns while being smaller.
Historical examples further support Jeanty’s case. Take icons like Darren Sproles and Mike Tolbert, who turned their stature into an advantage rather than a disadvantage. And let’s not forget Barry Sanders—he’s often heralded as one of the greatest running backs of all time, and he was only 5’8”. The narrative that shorter running backs can’t succeed in the NFL is simply not backed by the evidence.
As the Heisman voting process unfolded, some critics pointed to Jeanty’s lower volume of touches, arguing it hurt his candidacy. Now, however, the spotlight has shifted to whether he can handle the heavy workload of an NFL running back—ironically, a concern he finds somewhat amusing. “There’s always going to be people who nitpick things or point out different aspects that they think might not work,” he humorously remarked.
At just 21 years old, Jeanty has already shown a remarkable ability to manage both the pressures on the field and the scrutiny off it with professionalism that many seasoned players would envy. No matter what happens on draft day, he seems poised to defy the expectations placed on him and make a mark in the NFL, ready to prove that size doesn’t define talent.
Regardless of where his journey takes him next, it’s evident that Ashton Jeanty is not just a player with potential—he’s a symbol of what it means to challenge the status quo and carve out your own path in the world of football. The underdog story is often the most compelling, and Jeanty’s narrative is one that resonates deeply with anyone who values grit and perseverance.
