The Dallas Cowboys passed on a running back in the NFL Draft after moving up from starter each of the past two seasons.
Throughout draft weekend, there was as much talk about former Cowboys, two-time rushing champion Ezekiel Elliott, as there was about college prospects.
The focus now turns to when Elliott will return to the franchise, where he amassed 8,262 yards, third in club history, in seven seasons before being released to cut costs after the 2022 season.
Owner Jerry Jones spoke generally about Elliott's positive impact on Saturday night, saying a day earlier that he still thinks Elliott is good enough to be a starter “at any time.”
“I don't really know what we're talking about here in terms of rules, so I don't want to get into that,” Jones said. “The bottom line is he's positive.”
Two of Dallas' top three picks and three of their eight picks were offensive linemen, making them one of the Cowboys' biggest needs after losing two starting pitchers this offseason. Running back was another story.
“A lot of times there's always a question mark: Are you really, really, really going to stick to your board?” said Stephen Jones, executive vice president of human resources. “Whenever the situation is, we have to make a choice and do the right thing, and it felt like it wasn't the time to run away.”
On the first night of the draft, the Cowboys confirmed they had met with Elliott, who played in New England last season, and the 28-year-old's agent earlier in the day.
On the second day of the draft, after Dallas had yet to take a running back, Jerry Jones selected Elliott again.
“It actually took a long time to find a running back in today's draft,” Jerry Jones said Friday night. “We're also very interested in what the future holds with Zeke.”
Tony Pollard, a 2019 fourth-round pick who replaced Elliott in 2023, didn't have the same impact as his $10.1 million annual salary playing on the franchise tag last season. Pollard signed with Tennessee as a free agent.
To date, the four running backs on Dallas' roster who saw the field for the Cowboys last season have combined for 163 carries, 605 yards and four touchdowns in their careers. Dallas added veteran journeyman Royce Freeman earlier this month.
“If you look at the dynamic 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. We have players who have been here for more than two years.”
there's beef there
The Cowboys selected an offensive lineman in the first round for the fifth time since 2011, trading five slots to take Oklahoma's Tyler Guyton with the 29th pick.
All four other first-rounders have appeared in at least one Pro Bowl, and 23 have been selected during that time. Anchoring this line is right guard Zach Martin, a seven-time All-Pro selection in the first round in 2014.
Dallas selected Kansas State's Cooper Beebe in the third round and Louisiana's Nathan Thomas in the seventh round.
“This is a year with a lot of offensive linemen,” Jerry Jones said. “Why rob a bank? Because that's where the money is. This was a good year for us to focus on that line of attack.”
Familiar appearance
The second-round selection of defensive end Marshawn Nyland from Western Michigan drew comparisons to DeMarcus Lawrence from a decade ago.
The Cowboys did not move forward to acquire Nyland, as they did when they drafted Lawrence with the second pick, 34th overall, out of Boise State in 2014. Nyland finished 56th.
Lawrence, entering his 11th season, doesn't have an overwhelming number of sacks (58 1/2), but he is durable and reliable, especially as a run stopper.
The two are about the same size, both listed in the 6-foot-3, 270-pound range.
“What attracted us to D-Law when he came out was the incredible effort he played with, the same effort you still see on Sundays after all these years of playing. That's it,” said Will, vice president of human resources. McCray said.
“If you're interested in it, you put it in your Rolodex and think, 'If I look at this, I'll see what it's like and what it can do.' Just watching (Nieland) play. , he’s bouncing off people and chasing screens,” McCray said.
rest of the class
Defense was the focus in the middle rounds, with Notre Dame linebacker Marist Liufau going into the third round with the 87th overall pick. Dallas waited 86 picks to take Wake Forest cornerback Kaylen Carson in the fifth round, 174th overall.
Southeast Missouri State receiver Ryan Flournoy was a sixth-round pick, and 6-3, 346-pound defensive tackle Justin Rodgers of Auburn was Dallas' final selection in the seventh round.
