(Editor's Note: With just one month until the start of the 2016 NFL Draft on April 28, the staff of DallasCowboys.com intends to preview the landscape of possible Cowboys draft picks – from the top of the first round to the bottom of the talent pool. Today's featured player is Notre Dame running back C.J. Prosise.)
Name: C.J. Prosise
Position: Running Back
College: Notre Dame
Height/Weight: 6-0/220
Honors: A year after Notre Dame named him its 2014 Special Teams Player of the Year, Prosise made the semifinalist list for the Maxwell Award which recognizes the nation's best college football player.
Key Stat: Prosise switched from receiver to running back in his final college season and made nine starts, rushing for 1,032 yards on 156 carries (6.6 average) with 11 touchdowns. In two previous seasons with the Fighting Irish, he started nine games at wide receiver and caught 36 passes for 588 yards and two touchdowns.
Where He's Projected: Many mock drafts list Prosise among the top half-dozen or so running back draft prospects this year and project him as a possible third- or fourth-round pick.
How He Helps the Cowboys: Signing Alfred Morris and re-signing Lance Dunbar doesn't preclude the Cowboys from possibly drafting a young running back for depth behind last year's starter Darren McFadden. Dunbar is recovering from last year's knee injury and might start the 2016 season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. Prosise is still learning the nuances of the running back position, but he was a playmaker for the Irish last season at his new position and he has breakaway-type speed – he ran a 4.48 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine in February. His past receiver experience makes him a versatile option out of the backfield, though he might fit best as a change-of-pace back for a team early in his NFL career as he gathers more experience.
Scout's Take:Converted wide receiver that has only one year of running back experience. Shows balance with the ability to pick and slide. Can get the ball to the outside. Quick to the corner but also show patience to allow the blocks to develop if he has to carry it inside. Has speed to capture the corner. There are snaps where you can see him running on feel. Will run upright and tall. Physical with ball in his hands. Stays after his block as a pass protector. Will stay on his feet. Can break the ball backside. Can make people miss in the hole. Can slide over and help in pass pro. Aware. Has a nose for the end zone. Can catch the ball, natural hands. Was Notre Dame's Special Teams player of the Year in 2014. Had to fight through injuries and five fumbles but clearly shows the talent and traits to have a promising NFL career in the league. – Bryan Broaddus
