For the last few years, there is one common factor that has hindered the Dallas Cowboys offense. That factor is the lack of a true game-changing running back.
For Dallas, they have the chance to change that in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Dallas Cowboys to Draft Ashton Jeanty
With the issues that the Dallas Cowboys have had, they can take advantage of this upcoming deep running back draft class to ensure they fix the issue going forward. That can be done so by drafting Jeanty in the first round.
Cowboys’ Running Back Issues
There was hope that Tony Pollard could potentially develop into that running back, but with major contracts coming up for Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons, they let Pollard hit free agency.
With letting Pollard go, they opted to bring back Ezekiel Elliott in free agency, but he is past his prime, and wasn’t able to provide much of an impact anymore.
With a lack of a true threat on the ground, it leads to Dallas’ offense being too predictable as the season went on. It also puts more pressure on Prescott than what is needed. If the Cowboys want to maximize the potential of the offense, they need to draft a running back that can change the game.
Jeanty’s Fit on the Cowboys
That ideal running back will be Ashton Jeanty. Ever since his freshman season, Jeanty has made an impact for Boise State. With his elite contact balance, he is a true force, being able to withstand defenders and fight for extra yards routinely. With Jeanty he pairs the balance with great vision and anticipation to get a read on defenses and identify openings.
Once he does, he has the long speed to go the distance with game-breaking acceleration. This has led to Jeanty accumulating 4,768 yards and 50 touchdowns on the ground through three seasons so far.
What makes Jeanty ideal for the Cowboys is his ability to impact the game on the ground as well as through the air. Jeanty is a smooth route runner and has natural hands to go with a large catch radius to make an impact as a receiver too. Jeanty has a 84.5% reception rate for 877 yards and six touchdowns.
Jeanty has a running style very similar to Barry Sanders, and would solve the Cowboys running back issue.