The Dallas Cowboys seem to have much bigger than just a scheme and adjustment issue. They have a roster and talent problem. Oftentimes, those issues can not be fixed in-season, and you have to wait for the NFL draft to begin to address these issues.
Over the last decade, the best version of the Cowboys was when they had a dominant rushing attack with DeMarco Murray and then a few years later Ezekiel Elliott. For the past two years, the Cowboys have tried to get by with a makeshift running back room, relying on the running back by committee method. That backfired big time this season as the Cowboys have struggled to establish a consistent and impactful run game, making them a one-dimensional offense—one that appears to be in a downward trend.
Dallas has picks in every single round of the draft this year but they need to be aggressive in their approach to addressing the running back position. They need to use at least one of their first three picks on a running back.
Check out the list below as I went through the first three rounds and found a running back that the Cowboys should target in each of the rounds.
Ashton Jeanty, Boise State (Round 1)
Ashton Jeanty has without a doubt been the best running back in college football this year and is on his way to having an opportunity to break the single-season rushing record set by Barry Sanders. This is the right amount of flair that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones likes and is a player who fits an important need.
Jeanty is a playmaker from the running back position and has the opportunity to step into the NFL and immediately become one of the best running backs in the league. Jeanty immediately upgrades this running back room and presents the opportunity offensively for the Cowboys to win games via running the football when Dak Prescott is not playing well.
Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State (Round 2)
A few months ago, I would have said it was impossible to draft Quinshon Judkins in the second round, but with how well Jeanty has played and even the emergence of a guy like Omarion Hampton, it is definitely possible now.
The Cowboys might have an opportunity to draft Judkins in this position due to his lack of overall production by his splitting carries with TreVeyon Henderson. Judkins is still a first-round value with his combination of lateral agility, burst, and power. If Dallas can grab Judkins here, it could be the steal of the draft.
Kalel Mullings, Michigan (Round 3)
No draft prospect has elevated his draft stock more than Michigan’s Kalel Mullings. Mullings entered the season as a relatively unknown backup RB in the rotation and now has elevated himself to the feature back of one of the biggest brands in college football.
Mullings is a big, powerful back who looks to have the mental endurance along with the physical endurance to be a three-down running back in the NFL. Mulings in this Cowboys offense could be viewed as the RB1 who could consistently carry the football double-digit times and then all they have to do is find a supplementary piece to fully rebuild this RB room.
