Cowboys may regret refusing to address offensive hole during NFL Draft

The Dallas Cowboys refusing to take a running back seems like one of the most puzzling moves of the 2024 NFL Draft.

"But I was waiting for a running back. I never found one," ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. said Monday morning on "Get Up." "I've always been an advocate of drafting a running back in that third- to fifth-round area. [The Cowboys] needed one. They passed up on a lot of good ones, I thought."

Entering the draft, the Cowboys were reportedly targeting Texas RB Jonathon Brooks, but the Carolina Panthers selected him with the 46th overall pick. Aside from Brooks, talent evaluators felt the draft class lacked star power at RB.

"There's nobody close to Bijan [Robinson] or [Jahmyr] Gibbs or if you're going back [to previous drafts]," an AFC general manager told Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson. "But when you get to the third and fourth [rounds], I think there's going to be some good value on the board with guys that can be solid. I just doubt anyone from this one rounds into a high-impact, every-down player."

Understandably, the Cowboys probably didn't want to reach for an RB. However, solid prospects such as Trey Benson (Arizona Cardinals) and Blake Corum (Los Angeles Rams), would've added depth to their backfield.

This offseason, former Pro Bowl RB Tony Pollard signed a three-year, $21.75M deal with the Tennessee Titans. Backup RB Rico Dowdle flashed some potential last season, but he only rushed for 361 yards and two TDs on 89 carries in 16 games.

Per The Athletic's Dianna Russini and Jon Machota, the Cowboys are reuniting with RB Ezekiel Elliott, who's expected to sign a one-year deal.
Dallas owner Jerry Jones recently told the media Elliott's still "good enough to be a starter," but that's debatable Last season, the 28-year-old ran for 642 yards and three TDs in 17 games with the New England Patriots.

While the Cowboys finished first in the league in passing yards per game (265.8) last season, ignoring their ground attack makes their offense one-dimensional. Unless someone emerges, Dallas will regret not investing in another back.