FRISCO, Texas – In recent years, the running back position has been an interesting study. The NFL has seen a trend of offenses throwing the ball more, bringing into question how much valuable should be placed on a running back.
Recent history shows that investing early round draft capital can make a huge difference in your offense. In the last three Pro Bowls, 18 of the 21 running backs selected have been first or second round picks. If you expand that filter to the last six seasons, 32 of the 40 Pro Bowl running backs were picked in the first two rounds.
In this Sunday's conference championship games, three of the four starting running backs playing were drafted in the first three rounds of their respective classes. Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles, the second overall pick in 2018, just became the ninth player in NFL history to surpass 2,000 single-season rushing yards in his seventh year in the league.
All that goes to show that there's a lot of value in taking a running back early in the draft as opposed to waiting until the later rounds hoping to strike gold. The Cowboys are one of the teams that found a quality ball carrier in Rico Dowdle from the undrafted ranks, but he's an unrestricted free agent now and the Cowboys didn't take a running back in the 2024 NFL draft, so there's isn't much depth in the room even if Dowdle does return.
And so, it appears likely that the Cowboys will draft a running back in 2025, and the record shows they'd benefit from drafting one in the first three rounds. Here's some names to keep an eye on that could be available in each round and provide an offense-changing spark for Dallas in 2025 and beyond:
Round 1, Pick 12: Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
The clear-cut best running back prospect in the class, and a name that has been connected to the Cowboys early and often in mock drafts, with Jeanty himself even saying that playing for the Cowboys would be "a dream come true."
Jeanty, a graduate of Frisco Lone Star high school, was the runner-up for the Heisman after a historic junior season at Boise State. He finished with 2,601 rushing yards in 14 games, the second most all time in a single season in NCAA history.
At 5'9, 215 pounds, Jeanty has elite contact balance is excels at forcing missed tackles, with an FBS leading 151 of them in the 2024 season. For reference, the next closest player forced 94. Combine that was a thick, strong frame and good speed, and you've got a first-round running back that can absolutely help the Cowboys.
Round 2, Pick 44: Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
With how deep this running back class is, landing a guy like Kaleb Johnson in the second round wouldn't be a consolation prize at all. At 6', 225 pounds, he's got the more prototypical frame for a running back and his play style matches his size.
Johnson had a somewhat quiet first two seasons at Iowa, with 1,242 yards and nine touchdowns combined. His junior season was a completely different story, rushing for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns. He scored an offensive touchdown in all 12 games that the Hawkeyes played this year.
In line with many players that have come from the Iowa program, Johnson plays physical and decisive. He's patient in finding the gaps at the line of scrimmage, and then hits them hard once they open up and is another hard guy to tackle. He's fast, doesn't necessarily have breakaway speed, but can make you pay with a combination of speed and power if left in space. As games went on, he got better and can handle a heavy workload on all three downs, something the Cowboys would welcome with open arms.
Round 3, Pick 76: TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
If the Cowboys are looking for speed, then TreVeyon Henderson is their guy. Listed at 5'10, 208 pounds, he isn't the most physically imposing back but makes up for it with great change of direction and acceleration.
In four seasons at Ohio State, Henderson rushed for over 1,000 yards twice and scored double digit rushing touchdowns in three of his four years with the Buckeyes. In his senior season, he averaged 7.1 yards per carry while splitting carries with Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins, who also finished as a 1,000 yard rusher.
Speed, change of direction, and great vision are Henderson's calling cards. He's got the ability to hit the big play if he gets a crease, something that the Cowboys haven't seen a lot of recently. If Dallas decides to keep Rico Dowdle in the fold, his slasher playstyle mixed with Henderson's explosiveness could make for a solid backfield pairing.
