After losing their starting running back each of the previous two seasons, the Dallas Cowboys decided without selecting a running back in the NFL Draft.
Throughout draft weekend, chatter about one of those former Cowboys, two-time running champion Ezekiel Elliott, was as prevalent as talk about any college prospect.
The attention now is on Elliott’s potential return date to the team, where he amassed 8,262 yards—third most in club history—in seven seasons until being let loose in a cost-cutting measure following the 2022 campaign.
“Anytime,” owner Jerry Jones responded on Saturday night, expressing his general belief that Elliott had a positive influence. A day earlier, Jones had stated that he believed Elliott was still good enough to start.
I’m not sure what the regulations are that we’re discussing here, so I don’t want to get into that,” Jones remarked. “Bottom line is that he’s a positive.”
After losing two starters this offseason, offensive linemen were one of the Cowboys’ largest needs, and they accounted for three of the eight selections made by Dallas in the top three. Another was to run back.
“I think a lot of times, there’s always a question mark, will you really, really, really stick to your board?” Stephen Jones, executive vice president of people, stated. “It just felt like every time the situation was there for us to make a pick and do the right thing, it wasn’t at running back.”
The Cowboys acknowledged on the opening night of the draft that they had met with Elliott, who played for New England last season, and the 28-year-old’s agent earlier that day.
After Dallas still hadn’t taken a running back on the second day of the draft, Jerry Jones brought up Elliott again.
“There was a long time before a running back was taken, actually in today’s draft,” Jerry Jones said Friday night. “We also are keenly interested in seeing what the future might look like with Zeke.”
Elliott was replaced in 2023 by Tony Pollard, a 2019 fourth-round pick, but Pollard’s $10.1 million salary from playing on the franchise tag the previous season wasn’t enough to equal Elliott’s effect. Pollard signed a free agent contract with Tennessee.
Currently, the four Dallas running backs that played for the Cowboys in the previous season have 163 career runs for 605 yards and 4 touchdowns between them. Royce Freeman, a seasoned journeyman, joined Dallas earlier this month.
“If you look at the dynamics of the running back room right now, it’s a young group, but they all have upside,” Coach Mike McCarthy said. “I like our group. You have players that are going to be here two-plus years.”
With 23 selections between them, all four of the other first-round picks were selected to the Pro Bowl at least once. Right guard and 2014 first-round selection Zack Martin, a seven-time All-Pro, anchors the line.
Dallas selected Cooper Beebe of Kansas State in the third round, and Nathan Thomas of Louisiana was selected in the seventh round.
Jerry Jones remarked, “There are a lot of offensive linemen this year.” You rob banks, but why? For that’s where the big bucks are. We were able to focus on that offensive line well this year.”
The Cowboys drafted an offensive lineman in the first round for the fifth time since 2011, getting Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton at No. 29 after trading down five spots.
The second-round choice of defensive end Marshawn Kneeland out of Western Michigan prompted comparisons to DeMarcus Lawrence a decade earlier.
The Cowboys didn’t move up to get Kneeland the way they did in 2014 to draft Lawrence out of Boise State with the second pick of the second round, 34th overall. Kneeland went at No. 56.
Lawrence, who is going into his 11th season, doesn’t have an overwhelming number of sacks (58 1/2) but has been durable and dependable, particularly as a run-stopper.
The two are almost the same size, both listed at 6-3 and in the range of 270 pounds.
“The thing that attracted us to D-Law back when he was coming out was the incredible effort that he played with was the same effort that you see on Sundays now still, after as many years as he played,” Will McClay, our vice president of personnel, said.
“If you find something attractive, you put it in your Rolodex and think, ‘If I see that, I know what it looks like and what it can do.'” McClay remarked, “Just watching (Kneeland) play, he’s bouncing off people and chasing screens down.”
The middle rounds were all about defense, with Notre Dame linebacker Marist Liufau going 87th overall in the third round. Before acquiring Wake Forest cornerback Caelen Carson, Dallas had to wait 86 choices.
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