Possible draftee for the Cowboys Jonathan Brooks RB Texas
The Dallas Cowboys have made a name for themselves by being completely idle during the first few days of the NFL offseason. They let Tony Pollard, their starting running back, sign a free agent contract with the Titans, and they signed no one to take his position. Josh Jacobs joined Green Bay, Derrick Henry, a Dallas native, joined the Ravens, and Saquon Barkley joined the opposing Eagles.
Rico Dowdle, a fourth-year player with 96 carries and 385 yards rushing on his career ledger, is the Cowboys’ current lead back.
The fact that almost every respectable running back free agency is now unsigned is noteworthy for the Cowboys. They might try their hand at J.K. Dobbins or Clyde Edwards-Helaire, or perhaps (gasp!) make a return trip with Ezekiel Elliott following his one-season stint with the Patriots. However, it’s quite likely that the Cowboys will select Dowdle and use a draft pick to fix the running back position.
Additionally, ESPN highlighted a player who the Cowboys have undoubtedly seen: Jonathan Brooks, a running back from Texas who finished the previous season with 1,179 yards and 10 touchdowns in 11 games before tearing his ACL in November.
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Cowboys to Select No. 56 Jonathan Brooks?
Although there isn’t a chance for any running backs to be selected in the first round, the Cowboys have positioned themselves as a team that will need to make sure they select one in Round 2. The Cowboys choose Brooks with the 56th overall choice in Bleacher Report’s mock draft.
Jordan Reid of ESPN predicted that the Cowboys will use their second-round pick to choose between Trey Benson and Brooks.
The 2023 group doesn’t have a great possibility, but in the middle to late stages of Day 2, we might see a run at the spot, wrote Reid.
“I believe the Cowboys at No. 56 may be a launching point for such a run, as they haven’t signed a back since Pollard left in free agency. While Jonathan Brooks of Texas, who is recovering from an ACL tear, is a smooth runner with excellent contact balance, Florida State’s Trey Benson exhibits excellent vision, breakaway speed, tackle-breaking ability, and pass-catching qualities. My top two RBs may be late-round selections in Round 2 and rookie RB1s.
“He Appears to Be a Future NFL Star”
The Cowboys turning to a rookie RB1 for the upcoming season would be a dramatic turn of events. The team had Pollard as a counterpunch and Elliott, a future Hall of Famer, around this time last year. Elliott was released since they had too many running backs on the field.
Now that Pollard and Elliott are gone, the Cowboys are starting a young running back in Elliott’s place. Although Brooks is risky—especially given his injury—he has left a lasting impression in his brief stint as the Longhorns’ starting quarterback.
After sitting out two seasons, Pro Football Focus stated in its assessment of Brooks as a draft prospect, “The wait appeared to be worth it, as he looked like a future NFL star as just a redshirt sophomore.”
“He has an explosive first step and can cut, change direction, and avoid tacklers very quickly, even though his footwork isn’t quite as good as (Bijan) Robinson’s.” Although he lacks subtlety as a route runner, he has outstanding hands and has demonstrated the ability to cause missed tackles in his receiver role. His lone season as a starter in 2023 was cut short by an ACL tear, which is the one obvious negative on his scouting report.
