“It’s the commitment to the running game first, as it affects the overall play of your team, that is what drives me to have always been focused on the running game and the running backs. But I’m always looking for special qualities, unique things that they’re able to do with their vision, with their body control, with their toughness, and their burst and their speed,” Carroll said.

Carroll noted that Jeanty was worth the No. 6 pick, as he was one of the best athletes in the draft and unquestionably the best running back in this year’s draft. Jeanty’s addition cannot be understated.

“Just some guys are just different than others, and he is not a guy that’s going to just run into the wall, he’s going to find his way for the most space available with this marvelous creativity that terrific running backs have always shown to me,” Carroll said.

“I was thrilled to be part of this one and all the way through it, and it was fun to go back and watch this film again. I’ll just give you a little quick one. To figure out Reggie Bush back in the day, Reggie scored so many touchdowns from so far out on the film that the film would run, and he’d be the only guy on the field.

“I watched the same film about 50 times, and I tried to figure out, ‘I think he’s got like everything you could want in a running back. So, it’s just gone back a long ways, and it’s looking for the unique, special qualities that guys have that makes them those wonderful players.”

In the NFL, the team with the most talent usually wins on Sundays. The Raiders’ roster needs significantly more talent to consistently win games this upcoming season. However, by drafting Jeanty, the Raiders have made a legitimate effort to address a debilitating deficiency.

Selecting Jeanty with the No. 6 pick in the NFL Draft is more critical than the Raiders’ record next season, or how many yards Jeanty runs for as a rookie. Selecting Jeanty was the Raiders‘ commitment to running the ball, therefore buying them time to find their future quarterback.