There are a handful of running back options for the Cowboys to consider exploring in the NFL Draft.
It’s no secret that the Cowboys need a running back. Their leading rusher from 2024, Rico Dowdle, is a pending free agent and there just three running backs under contract for this new season: Deuce Vaughn, Malik Davis, and fullback Hunter Luepke.
It’s also no secret that the running back position has been devalued over the last decade or so. Part of that is due to players exactly like Dowdle, who have proven that teams are correct in the belief that they can find high-end rushing production without investing premium capital – whether in the draft or free agency – into the position.
Another reason for the decline in value at running back is the extremely short shelf life of top running backs. There is a very short list of running backs who remain elite once they turn 30 years old, and many running backs start to see a decline in on-field performance even before that age.
With that in mind, it makes sense to target talented running backs with cost-controlled contracts (AKA drafting them outside of the first round) who are younger than the average NFL rookie. And, coincidentally, Dane Brugler of The Athletic has given us a list of targets for such a player:
Nine prospects will be just 20-years-old on draft night:
20.61 RB Dylan Sampson
20.66 Edge Nic Scourton
20.72 RB LeQuint Allen
20.76 TE Harold Fannin Jr.
20.79 RB Trevor Etienne
20.80 CB Azareye’h Thomas
20.82 DL Mykel Williams
20.82 DT Jordan Phillips
20.96 TE Mason Taylor— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) February 24, 2025
There are multiple prospects in this draft class who will be just 20 years old on draft night, and shortly beyond that, and three of them are running backs: Georgia’s Trevor Etienne, Syracuse’s LeQuint Allen, and Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson.
Etienne is the younger brother of current Jaguars running back Travis Etienne. While most scouts agree he isn’t as polished as his brother, a first-round pick back in 2021, the younger Etienne is still an exciting athlete who put up big numbers in college, first at Florida and then at Georgia. Injuries kept him from playing a full year in 2024, but Etienne topped 700 rushing yards in each of his two seasons with the Gators.
Allen, on the other hand, is a multifaceted back who starred for the Orange each of the last two years. He broke 1,000 rushing yards last year and finished 24th in the nation is broken tackles. This year, he fell just short of the 1,000 yard mark but also unlocked his receiving skills, finishing fourth among all running backs in receiving yards. Allen also scored 20 total touchdowns between the ground and the passing attack.
Then there’s Sampson, who gained notoriety for his elite open-field speed. Playing in the Volunteers’ unique offense marked by its extremely wide formations, Sampson finished eighth in both rushing yards and yards per carry this year. He also scored 22 rushing touchdowns, third-most in college football, and broke the school’s record for single season rushing scores, shattering a record that had stood for 96 years.
All three of these running backs possess tantalizing traits and project to be really productive runners at the next level. However, the devaluing of the position and the loaded nature of this year’s draft class means the Cowboys can likely land any of these guys in the third round, if not later.
The Cowboys would be wise to go after any of these three, in addition to signing a low-cost free agent option with some NFL experience. That way they could get the rookie acclimated to the league in their first year before promoting them to a primary role, knowing that they’ve got youth on their side from a developmental and longevity perspective.
