“After witnessing the success the Philadelphia Eagles had with Saquon Barkley, plenty of teams are now on the hunt for a running back who can perform at that elite level. Lately, there’s been buzz about the Dallas Cowboys potentially making a splash in the NFL Draft by selecting the top prospect available at this position.
While some might call it ‘a bad decision,’ Jerry Jones’ team could go all out to land Ashton Jeanty, a player who outshined even Saquon Barkley during his college career.
The Best RB Prospect Since Saquon Barkley
The Dallas Cowboys hold the 12th pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, and though they could move up with a trade, it wouldn’t be shocking if Ashton Jeanty is still on the board at that point-something the front office can’t afford to pass up.
Over three seasons at Boise State, Ashton Jeanty racked up a staggering 4,769 rushing yards, earning him a spot as a Heisman Trophy finalist after posting 2,601 yards in his final season alone, with an average of 7.0 yards per carry-over a yard more than Saquon Barkley managed in his last year at Penn State.
In fact, Jeanty outdid the Eagles’ star by more than 900 yards, considering Barkley finished his college career with 3,843 rushing yards.
When it comes to touchdowns, the former Boise State standout scored 50, compared to Barkley’s 43. While the NFL is a completely different beast from the NCAA, these numbers offer a promising projection for the running back ‘everyone wants.’
If we stack him up against another top NFL runner like Bijan Robinson, Jeanty’s college stats hold their own. In his best season, he posted a 39.2% Missed Tackles Forced rate in 2024, just shy of Robinson’s 40.4% with the Atlanta Falcons, while Barkley clocked in at 32.2%.
Ashton Jeanty would be a bad pick for the Cowboys according to experts
A Bad Move for the Dallas Cowboys?
More than one expert believes drafting Ashton Jeanty would be a mistake for the Cowboys, arguing the team has too many holes at other positions to prioritize a running back. Opinions are split, but these are the kinds of decisions that can define a franchise’s future.
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