The mock drafts are rolling in.
While the Dallas Cowboys brethren in the NFC East, the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders, prep for an NFC Championship game, the Cowboys are stuck in purgatory. They still haven’t landed on a new head coach and the search process has the faithful frustrated. Until a new coach happens, it feels like the real offseason for the team can’t really begin.
What has begun is the annual rite of the offseason – mock drafts. Yes, they are starting in earnest and we will be tracking some of them as the offseason progresses. One popular mock comes from Mel Kiper at ESPN and today he dropped his first one of the offseason.
For the Cowboys, Kiper has them going with a playmaker on offense, It’s hard to argue against that, but the player selected is always the contentious part. Kiper has Dallas going wide receiver.
12. Dallas Cowboys
Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
Yes, it’s a mock draft without Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty going to Dallas! I think it’s possible the Cowboys take Jeanty, and there’s no arguing that they need a boost to the run game. But I imagine they’d first try to fix that hole in free agency. And regardless, this team has to find playmakers all over, period.
Putting Burden’s valuable after-the-catch ability opposite CeeDee Lamb would open things up for Dak Prescott. Dallas has been looking for a reliable one-two receiver punch in the offense for a while; it hasn’t had two WRs over 700 receiving yards since 2021, when Amari Cooper was still in town. Burden has the explosive traits to change that.
Burden has been a popular pick in mock draft for the Cowboys. They need some firepower on that side of the ball, and they especially need to give CeeDee Lamb a talented teammate at wide receiver that can draw some of the defense’s attention. Dak Prescott probably wouldn’t mind another quality target, either.
As Kiper mentions, the big issue here is whether the Cowboys should take running back Ashton Jeanty. Rico Dowdle is a free agent and the running game in Dallas could certainly use a spark. Even if the team retains Dowdle, they need to add another back to the equation.
The problem is the value proposition of taking a running back that high in the first round. The issue is two-fold. One, running backs seem to be one of the more replaceable positions in the NFL with guys jumping in from nowhere and having big seasons. Heck, Dowdle was an undrafted free agent who had to share time part of the year and still put up 1,000 yards on a broken-down offense. Two, running backs are one the most injury-prone positions and their longevity can be short. Ezekiel Elliott is a perfect example of the short life-span in the NFL of running backs.
On the other hand, a special running back can change a team like Saquon Barkley has done in Philadelphia. By all accounts, Jeanty has the makings of a special one. Still, the draft class is loaded with quality running backs and Dallas may want to wait before dipping in that pool.
What’s you call BTB? Would you take Burden or Jeanty at pick number 12?