Ashton

Jeanty

Those hoping the Cowboys would use the No. 12 pick to land hometown prospect Ashton Jeanty may need to start looking elsewhere. Just weeks after saying he believes Jeanty would be the pick at No. 12 if he were on the board, Machota’s takeaway following the scouting combine is that the team would prefer to “go in a different direction” than running back with their No. 12 pick, and instead target a back in the second or third round. This year’s running back class is expected to be deep, meaning the Cowboys should have plenty of options available to them when they’re on the clock with the No. 44 or No. 76 picks. The Cowboys didn’t speak to Jeanty at the combine, but there will still be plenty of time to speak with him during top-30 visits or the Cowboys’ Dallas Day Workout.

Jeanty’s agent, Henry Organ, said his client will only participate in medical evaluations and team interviews during this week’s NFL Scouting Combine. The former Boise State RB led the nation in rushing last season with 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns, finishing second in the Heisman Trophy vote. Long believed to be the RB1 of this year’s class, Jeanty is expected to go through all workouts at Boise State’s pro day.

“The ties to Frisco, Texas, and the need for an immediate impact running back would probably be too much for Jerry Jones to pass up. Dallas doesn’t have enough playmakers on offense,” Machota adds. With Brian Schottenheimer at head coach, the running game should be an obvious focus for the Cowboys. Jerry Jones likes to repeat things that he believes worked, and the Ezekiel Elliott pick “worked” in his mind. So, yeah, this passes the smell test for us as well. Jeanty is widely expected to go in the top 20 picks and should be one of the first names off the board in fantasy rookie drafts in 2025.

The Heisman Trophy runner-up is widely expected to be a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He rushed for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns with 374 carries this past season for Boise State, also handling 23 catches for 138 yards while being keyed on in every game and leading the Broncos to the College Football Playoff. Jeanty handled 30 carries for 104 yards in a loss to Penn State in the quarterfinal round. He is likely to be the first name called in most rookie fantasy drafts this summer.