The Dallas Cowboys need a run. With Ezekiel Elliott released and Tony Pollard playing under the franchise’s tag for one year, the once-plentiful running back team could undergo an overhaul. While Pollard’s future is still up in the air, one thing is for sure, Mike McCarthy and his new offense will be looking to add another running back.
With the draft less than two weeks away, many are expecting that problem to be resolved by having a nice new set of fresh legs join the team. This is a deep draft class for running backs, so the chances will be there, but when will the Cowboys strike? Here are eight contestants we should get to know in preparation for the upcoming draft.
JHMIR Gibbs, Alabama
Texans’ Bijan Robinson is getting all the attention, but it would be amazing to see him fall that far in the draft. And while Robinson was the number one running back dog, Gibbs Bama is not far behind. Highly explosive, Gibbs is a great cutter with great intelligence about the space around him. He’s a great receiver and has a 4.36 speed that’s just one big play waiting to happen. He moved to Alabama after Bryan Robinson Jr. left for the NFL and even then shared his touches, but he only scratched the surface of the kind of big plays he could bring to the offense. Some may not like the idea of going back so early, but Gibbs gets the Cowboys’ attention.
Expected round: 1 to 2 (as rated by Dane Brugler)
Devon Ashan Texas A&M
The Aggie shared this time with Isaiah Spiller in 2021 before Spiller headed up to the NFL. Last year, the backfield belonged to Achane and he rushed for over 1,100 yards. He’s extremely fast at 4.32 and has great vision and an outstanding ability to slice through traffic. He’s on the small side (5’8″, 189 lbs) but his quick acceleration makes him a big game waiting to happen. He’s a voluntary pass blocker and has shown some impressive ability as a receiver. This all-rounder will turn heads and be on the Cowboys’ radar by day two.
Expected round: 2nd-3rd
Tejay Spears, Tulane
The Spurs have been guarding the Greens’ backfield for the past three seasons even though they ripped their ACL in 2020. He’s healthy now and ran for 6.9 yards per carry last season on his way to 1,581 yards. He doesn’t have uncanny speed (4.52), but his conversion is impressive as he lunges through holes before defenders can put him down. Like Achane, he’s also on the small side (5’9″, 201 lbs) and doesn’t come with a lot of power, but he does have happy feet that make him tough.
Expected round: 3rd
Bigsby Tank, Auburn
Tank is a balanced runner who brings power and explosion to his game. There is nothing too flashy about his running style, but he is very effective, leading Auburn in rushing for three straight seasons. His ability to maintain speed with his cuts is rather impressive since he always seems to have another move ready. He has shown good durability and is solid in the passing game both as a blocker and as a receiver, but there is room for improvement. He has the skills to keep himself on the field on all three downs.
Expected round: 3rd
Roshone Johnson, Texas
Johnson is known as the other Texan running back, but don’t let his timeshare fool you. He has skills. Taking a back seat to Bijan Robinson just means he comes with low miles as he’s had less than 100 carries in each of the past three seasons. Johnson is a physical runner who constantly moves his legs, pumping energy through defenders and regularly grinding down yards. He runs a little upright but still has some good lateral agility to make guys miss. He’s also a high-character guy who will block and play for special teams. He’s just a player who does it all. The Cowboys found success the last time they took a backup in the draft (Tony Pollard backed up Darrell Henderson in Memphis), so why not give it another go?
expected round: 3rd
Israel Upanikanda, Pittsburgh
Abanikanda is a two-year starter at Pitt who’s coming off an impressive season of 1,431 receiving yards (six yards per carry) and 20 rushing touchdowns. He has very good vision for finding creases in running lanes and will fly as soon as he gets clearance to take off. He’s not a strong asset in the passing game because his blocking needs work, but he has shown some ability as a receiver. He also won’t run over anyone, so while he’s not an ideal prospect to handle the workload, he has interesting running skills to make for a nice complement.
Expected round: From the third to the fourth
Zack Evans, Be a miss
Evans is deceptively elusive because his lateral agility doesn’t break the ankle, but it is very effective. He has a quick cut in the beginning of his runs and then drops out of the running. He doesn’t have much speed, but he definitely looks a lot faster on tape and he’s constantly flopping the secondary. His efficiency is consistent as he had at least 6.5 yards per carry in all three of his college seasons; However, he doesn’t have much work under his belt (only 290 career carries). He can run a bit upright and comes with character concerns (he was suspended twice his senior year), but this prospect comes with some interesting upsides.
Expected round: From the third to the fourth
Kinder Miller TCU
Miller became the standout in TCU when the aforementioned Zack Evans headed to Mississippi last year, and Miller wasted no time capitalizing. He compiled 1,399 yards and 17 touchdowns on the year. You get a little bit of everything with Miller because he’s a physical runner who doesn’t go easy, but he also shows good lateral movement to coax his way through traffic. He’ll hit it on the line and he’ll crack some big kicks. In general, Miller shows great patience but has an attacking position instinct that makes him a very productive runner.
Expected round: From the third to the fourth
Building a better board…
Having a good feel for who the Cowboys are interested in is helpful in gaining an advantage over whose name is likely to be called on Draft Day. Below is a list of running backs who have either had an official 30 visit with the Cowboys, had an official group meeting, met the coaches during their pro day, or had a private workout with the team.
Run the back panel
position | player | school | expected round | notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
position | player | school | expected round | notes |
RB | Jahmir Gibbs | Alabama | 1st-2nd | Explosive receiver, smart and fast, great |
RB | Devon Ashan | Texas A&M | 2nd-3rd | Explosive receiver, smart and fast, great |
RB | Tejay Spears | Tulane | 3rd | Super fool, not too fast, great vision |
RB | Bigsby tank | Auburn | 3rd | Fast cutter, strong runner, very durable |
RB | Roshon Johnson | Texas | 3rd | Physical and cunning, a high personality who does it all |
RB | Israel Upanikanda | house | From the third to the fourth | Good vision, far from runner, game |
RB | Zack Evans | Be a miss | From the third to the fourth | Good cut, loses in space, personal concerns |
RB | Kinder Miller | TCU | From the third to the fourth | Physical, cunning and balanced player |