What type of running back will this new offensive coaching staff look for in the draft?
As the 2025 NFL Draft Combine ended, general managers, coaching staffs, and fans saw some of the best players college football has to offer.
The running backs were on full display at the NFL Combine, and the Dallas Cowboys staff could evaluate players and see their athletic abilities.
After watching the combine, I thought about the new offensive coaching staff and what type of running back they are looking for to tote the ball for their offense in 2025.
Klayton Adams, Derrick Foster, and Conor Riley will have a plethora of data to review as the draft approaches, and 31 running backs will be evaluated to see what they can bring to the Cowboys.
With that in mind, what types of running backs have these coaches worked with and what is their type?
The Offensive Coaching Staff has a Running Back In Mind
The new faces on the offensive coaching staff have a running back in mind, but crunching the numbers can give fans an idea of who they are more drawn to as the draft approaches.
The new Offensive Coordinator, Klayton Adams, has an extensive background in coaching the offensive line. He has also been in the NFL for a few years, and those teams had good run games.
His most recent coaching stop before coming to Dallas was with the Arizona Cardinals. The running backs in the desert were:
2023 to 2024 Running Backs
- James Conner – 6’1 233lbs (4.65) (Forty Time)
- Trey Benson – 6’1 223lbs (4.39)
- Emari Demercado – 5’9 215lbs (4.44)
- Michael Carter – 5’8 201lbs (4.36)
- Keaontay Ingram – 6’0 220lbs (4.53)
According to the Arizona Cardinals depth chart, the running backs above are in order.
The top two backs on the depth are bigger backs, one with power and one with power and speed.
James Conner is an all-around back with great vision who ranked 11th in rushing yards and 6th in receiving yards.
Trey Benson is the home run back with speed and power. On 63 carries, he had 10 explosive runs of 10 plus yards and averaged 9.8 yards per reception.
Looking at the size of the backs used last season, Adams’s average would be 5’11 “tall and 218 pounds.
Conor Riley’s running backs at Kansas State University were:
- DJ Giddens – 6’0 212lbs (4.43)
- Dylan Edwards – 5’9 167lbs (4.41)
- Joe Jackson – 6’0 204lbs (4.48)
- La’James White – 5’7 197lbs (n/a)
Coach Riley had four backs with about the same speed, but the top two running backs were Giddens and Edwards.
DJ Giddens had 6.6 yards per rush and 12.3 yards per reception. At the same time, Dylan Edwards averaged 7.4 yards per rush and 7.0 yards per reception.
Conor Riley will use big and smaller backs to change up the looks for defenses, which can be seen back to when Deuce Vaughn was running the ball at Kansas State.
The average size of his running backs at Kansas State was 5’10 and 195 pounds.
Running backs coach Derrick Foster was with the New Orleans Saints last year and had these running backs at his disposal:
- Alvin Kamara – 5’10 215lbs (4.56)
- Kendre Miller – 6’0 220lbs (4.40)
- Jamaal Williams – 6’0 224lbs (4.59)
- Jordan Mims – 6’0 205lbs (4.66)
The Saints preferred backs who are a blend of size and speed and can do a little bit of everything from the backfield.
Yes, he inherited these running backs, but he is familiar with this type of back.
Let’s look at the LA Chargers running backs room from 2021 to 2023:
- Austin Ekeler – 5’9 200lbs (4.43)
- Justin Jackson – 6’0 200lbs (4.50)
- Joshua Kelley – 5’11 212lbs (4.50)
- Larry Roundtree III – 5’10 211lbs (4.62)
- Sony Michel – 5′ 11 215lbs (4.54)
- Isaiah Spiller – 6’1 215lbs (4.60)
- Austin Ekeler – 5’9 200lbs(4.43)
- Elijah Dotson – 5’9 202lbs (4.53)
The backs Derrick Foster had at his disposal were not the fastest men on the field.
Most of the backs he deployed were good receiving backs who were better in open space. Getting to the edge was key to their success.
The average size of the backs he deployed was 5’11 and 210 pounds. His backs with the Chargers were on the smaller size in height, but made up for this in weight.
Draftable Running Backs Who Fit the Mold of the Coaches
Combining the previous information of height, weight, and 40 times of the previously used backs might give us an idea of the size and speed ratio the staff is looking for in a running back in the draft.
The average height would be near 5’11, the weight 207, and 40 time 4.5.
What backs in the draft fit these measurable?
The backs who fit the height, weight, and 40 time ratio would be:
- Donovan Edwards (Michigan)
- DJ Giddens (Kansas State)
- Omarion Hampton (UNC)
- TreVeyon Henderson (OSU)
- Montrell Johnson Jr (Florida)
- Quinshon Judkins (OSU)
- Raheim Sanders (South Carolina)
- Marcus Yams (Delaware)
Some big names are left off the list, but this is just comparing the measurable average.
The backs listed above could be higher on the Cowboys’ new staff’s draft board if they go with similarities of backs they have coached in the past.
This is not an exact science but something to consider when the draft arrives.
These are all names to watch if Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, and other top backs are off the board.
Any of these backs could make a good addition to the team.