If there’s any silver lining to this chaotic season for the Cowboys, it might not be visible for another six months. That’s when the NFL draft rolls around, and the disappointment of finishing 12-5 only to falter in the playoffs could turn into a blessing—a chance for Dallas to land an impact player with a higher draft pick.
While the Cowboys are sitting at 3-3, which isn’t a terrible position, they face the seventh-toughest remaining schedule. The nature of their losses—two major blowouts at home and a third that only became competitive in a late, futile rally—doesn’t suggest a team trending upwards.
There’s still a shot at the playoffs, and the NFC East remains up for grabs. The Commanders have had a strong start but are only a game ahead of Dallas, while the Eagles are struggling nearly as much as the Cowboys. The Giants have been better, but they’re still a step behind.
Still, Dallas might find itself in a prime position to draft a difference-maker next year. And according to a recent prediction on ESPN.com, that difference-maker could be Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty.
Ashton Jeanty Chasing Barry Sanders’ Record
If you haven’t been following, Jeanty has been the most dominant running back in college football this season—and one of the best in recent memory. He’s racked up 1,248 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns in just six games, leading the nation in both categories. Averaging 9.9 yards per carry and 208.0 yards per game, Jeanty has a real shot at surpassing Barry Sanders’ all-time single-season record of 2,628 rushing yards.
ESPN’s Jordan Reid recently mocked Jeanty to the Cowboys at No. 15 in his latest draft projection.
Reid’s take: “Jeanty is off to a historic start to the season, with the second-most rushing yards (1,248) and touchdowns (17) through six games in the last 20 FBS seasons. He has 841 yards after contact, leading the FBS by 255 yards over the next-best rusher. The stats speak for themselves, and Jeanty would immediately boost the Cowboys’ offense as both a runner and a receiving threat out of the backfield.”
Cowboys’ Running Game Struggles
The only unfortunate part of a Jeanty-to-Dallas scenario is that the Cowboys don’t already have him. They currently rank last in the league in rushing yards per game (77.2) and have managed just two rushing touchdowns all season.
The trio of Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, and Deuce Vaughn has been a predictable letdown, and a change is necessary. A midseason trade might provide a short-term fix, but adding Jeanty would give the Cowboys’ offense a major boost—though it might not come until 2025.
According to NFL Draft Buzz’s scouting report, Jeanty has “Elite vision and anticipation; consistently finds and exploits gaps before they fully materialize. Rare combination of burst and long speed; can take any touch to the house from anywhere on the field… A game-breaker who shines in critical moments; possesses a put-the-team-on-his-back mentality.”
