If Tony Pollard leaves in free agency, the Dallas Cowboys ought to give one of these running backs a significant look in the draft.
With 2024 seeming to be a make-or-break season, the Dallas Cowboys are prepared to make some changes. According to the most recent rumours circulating about the Cowboys, Tony Pollard’s departure is planned since the team will let him explore his free agency options.
Fortunately, the opportunity to select a young running back who can assist this team reach its Super Bowl goals and who won’t set you back as much as the Pro Bowler presents itself in April’s NFL Draft.
In light of that, the following three running backs are ones the Cowboys should draft if Pollard leaves this offseason.
1. Texas’s Jonathan Brooks
It won’t be simple to replace Pollard’s output, who led the team in rushes each of the previous two seasons. Dallas cannot afford to let this offensive component to fully collapse either, as it will complicate matters for the passing attack.
For this reason, the Cowboys may decide to take a chance on Jonathan Brooks, the top RB prospect in the draft.
After a great 2023 season in which he recorded 1,139 yards, 10 rushing touchdowns, and an incredible 6.1 yards per carry, Brooks is considered the top running back in the 2024 class. Additionally, he demonstrated some dual-threat potential with another 25 receptions for 286 yards (11.4 YPR).
At 6 feet and 207 pounds, Brooks has the build to compete against the NFL’s massive players, unlike the small Deuce Vaughn. Plus, at just twenty years old, he’s only just begun to realise his full potential after one stellar year.
Dallas benefits from Brooks’ lack of buzz compared to players like Bijan Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs, who are now anticipated to be selected in the mid-to late second round. The Cowboys are in a great position to draft the University of Texas player with the No. 56 pick.
2. Michigan’s Blake Corum
If Pollard, the back-to-back 1,000-yard player, is not available, the Cowboys will need a backfield producer. Dallas could therefore prefer a running back with more experience than Brooks, who has only truly had one season under his belt.
Blake Corum has the strongest case of anyone back in the nation if that is the case.
Since 2021, the Michigan star has been a beast for the Wolverines. With a staggering 3,660 yards on the ground and 56 rushing touchdowns over his final three years of college, Corum provided Jim Harbaugh with a real workhorse around whom to base his offence.
If Pollard is gone, Mike McCarthy will be looking for someone who can be the lead guy in a backfield, and Corum has more than demonstrated that he can do that.
Since Ezkiel Elliott left, Dallas has been without a powerful bruiser who can gain difficult yards and score close to the goal line. At 5-foot-8 and 200 pounds, Corum is the kind of wrecking ball who would thrive in those situations.
Corum has the background you want to see in an NFL-ready player, having finished in the top 10 during his two Heisman seasons and coming from a programme that won a national title. It would not be shocking if it immediately benefits a professional squad.
3. Braelon Allen, Wisconsin
Braelon Allen of Wisconsin could be the next gem in the rough for the Cowboys if they choose to hold off on signing a running back until Round 4 or later.
Allen offers the best of both worlds because he is experienced and has achieved success.
The talented RB recently turned 20 years old in January, all thanks to early enrollment as a Badger. However, he has previously participated in three seasons of collegiate football, compiling 3,494 yards and 35 touchdowns via the air while at Madison.
Allen is a fascinating talent because of his early influence. Considering his consistency as a teenager, he appears ready to contribute right away in the NFL, especially with a professional staff guiding him.
At a massive 6-foot-2 and 238 pounds, Allen all the physical attributes to emerge as one of the league’s next big backs. His powerful rushing style may provide the Cowboys offence a another dimension that it lacked in 2023, relieving some of the strain on Dak Prescott and company to perform well in short-yardage scenarios.
Allen is definitely worth taking a chance on this spring considering his upside and his excellent production thus far, particularly if he stumbles like Pollard did in the past.
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