2024 NFL Draft: 4 Options for the Dallas Cowboys at RB
Everything is bigger in Texas, and that includes the rumor mill that often involves the Dallas Cowboys. Despite lots of rumblings that Jerry Jones would bring back Zeke Elliott this off-season, the team opted to sign free agent RB Royce Freeman instead.
Now that Freeman is in Big D, will Dallas still target a running back in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft? Most fans certainly hope so. No offense to the current RB room, but it's hard to see the Cowboys offense going to war with Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, and the newly acquired Freeman.
Though most experts feel that this year's RB draft class is weak, we found 4 solid options for the Dallas backfield. Check them out below!
Jonathon Brooks, Texas (2nd Round)
Jerry Jones loves to bring in homegrown talent and Brooks has plenty of upside. The only negative is that he's coming off a torn ACL. At 6-foot and 216 pounds, Brooks isn't nearly as big as Allen, but he does lots of things well.
Brooks catches the ball like a champ out of the backfield and his pass blocking skills are better than almost any other back in this draft class. The 20-year-old averaged 6.1 yards per carry and found the end zone 11 times in 2023.
Braelon Allen, Wisconsin (3rd Round)
Allen may be the top option for the Cowboys, mainly because of his massive size and sheer strength. Both Dowdle and Vaughn are slight in stature, so a bigger back would definitely add more punch to the RB room.
The former Badger fits that bill to a T, as he's 6'1" and 235 pounds. Even with his size, Allen still runs a 4.4 40 and can bench 225 pounds 26 times.
Wisconsin has a knack for churning out top running backs, and Allen lived up to that hype by averaging 5.9 yard per carry and scoring 35 touchdowns in 25 collegiate games.
Trey Benson, Florida State (3rd Round)
Benson suffered a knee injury while at Oregon in 2020, but he really came into his own after moving on to Florida State in 2022. The 6-foot, 216 pounder ran the fastest 40 time on our list (4.39) and is one of the few every-down backs in this year's draft.
This kid has very weaknesses, but one thing he's only slighty above-average in is catching the ball out of the backfield. Even still, Benson's pure speed and his ability to break tackles make him a viable option for Dallas.
Jase McClellan, Alabama (5th Round)
J-Mac was the featured back for the Crimson Tide in both 2022 and 2023. The 21-year-old ran for nearly 2,000 yards in his college career and he scored 24 total touchdowns (18 rushing, 6 receiving).
McClellan is a shifty back with a thick lower half who doesn't mind running between the tackles. He's now pumped his weight up to 220 while keeping his 40 time at an impressive 4.5.
The former 4-star recruit rates high as a pass-catcher, but will definitely need to improve his pass blocking. That shouldn't be a problem though, especially since he comes from a Nick Saban-led pro-like culture at Alabama.