The Dallas Cowboys should not draft a certain position in the first round because of need, but let the position come to them in the draft.
The first round should be the best player available, someone who can help them win immediately.
The reasoning is that other teams with success draft the best player available according to their draft board.
The Cowboys have been known to reach on players in the first round according to need and how they have players ranked on their board, but lately it seems need has taken more of a front seat in the draft and the front office has to change this approach.
Looking back to last year, the team reached on a project player at left tackle, the jury is still out on Tyler Guyton, but he did not represent an upgrade.
This is the reason the Cowboys need to stay away from a running back in the first round and fill other needs in this draft that has several starting-caliber running backs.
The Last Running Back Taken in Round One
Every fan of the Dallas Cowboys knows Ezekiel Elliott was the last running back taken in the first round.
He was taken with the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
The pick worked out great the first year of Elliott’s career when he had 322 carries for 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns while averaging 5.1 yards per carry.
After that year, Ezekiel Elliott’s production steadily declined. He never again averaged more than five yards a carry and only had three seasons with over 1,000 yards rushing.
The Dallas Cowboys ran Elliott until his legs had no more to give.
The reason Ezekiel Elliott did so well in his first year was the offensive line.
The Cowboys Offensive Line Then and Now
In 2016, the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive line consisted of Left Tackle Tyron Smith, Left Guard La’el Collins, Center Travis Frederick, Right Guard Zack Martin, and Right Tackle Doug Free.
This group also had Ronald Leary, Chaz Green, and Joe Looney filling in as backups and sometimes starters.
Here is what pff.com had to say about the 2106 offensive line:
At their best, this unit is the best line in football, but left tackle Tyron Smith missed time due to injury, and on the other side, RT Doug Free has been a problem player for the team, surrendering eight sacks on the season and struggling with his run blocking.
At left guard, the loss of La’el Collins actually upgraded the unit, with veteran Ronald Leary having a fine season in his place. Leary didn’t surrender a sack all season and was PFF’s No. 21 ranked guard, earning a grade of 81.8. In the middle, C Travis Frederick and RG Zack Martin were first-team PFF All-Pros this season and the driving force of this line that catalyzed exceptional rookie campaigns from both RB Ezekiel Elliott and QB Dak Prescott.
My question is, was Ezekiel Elliott really great or was his offensive line just one of the best in football? Could a running back later in the draft have performed just as well? We may never know.
The 2024 offensive line was a hodgepodge of players due to injuries and underperforming players.
The line did not start to come together until the last few games of the season, but the opponents were also not the greatest.
According to PFF.com, the offensive line came into the league as the tenth-ranked unit. As the season went on this ranking plummeted down the rankings.
As of October, Sharp Football Analysis had the Dallas Cowboys offensive line ranked 28th in the league. A drastic drop from the top ten at the beginning of the season.
Tyler Guyton was hot and cold, but mostly cold, Tyler Smith was the only Pro Bowl caliber player, Cooper Bebee was good at center, Zack Martin regressed drastically and injuries plagued him all year, and Terence Steele was below average.
The Cowboys need to rebuild their offensive line or keep the group who ended the year together next year and let them grow together.
The moral of this section is the offensive line plays a major part in a running back’s success and the Cowboys do not have that line in place.
A first-round pick at running back could be a waste of talent or could be run into the ground like Ezekiel Elliott.
Rico Dowdle should be allowed to return and continue to build on his success from the end of the year. A running mate taken later in the draft would be a great pick.
The Dallas Cowboys need to shore up the trenches before sinking major draft assets into the running back position.
We all know what happened to Saquon Barkley in New York behind a subpar offensive line his entire career. Then he went to Philadelphia and showed what he is capable of behind a good line.
The Cowboys need to be smart with the first pick. As fun as Ashton Jeanty would be, is he a major need?