They said running backs were going out of vogue. That the position group doesn’t offer value as the game evolves towards pass-centric offenses. That a player plying his trade in the G5 couldn’t get into the Heisman conversation. When Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty stood on that podium in New York, he dispelled a fair few prejudicial and partisan fallacies. If Saquon Barkley carried the torch for tailbacks in the NFL, Jeanty did the same on the rung below. Akin to Barkley, he too flirted with rewriting the record books. Conceded, Jeanty’s own tryst with history didn’t end in a championship. But he didn’t have as stacked a supporting cast around him, to be fair. Ironically, themes around the supporting cast are why a couple of NFL insiders are unsure about one very interested franchise drafting him. That said, they still reckon Jeanty’s headed there.

That “America’s team” moniker the Dallas Cowboys boast certainly got blemished last season. It’s almost as if that home playoff embarrassment against the Packers at the end of ‘23 spilled over into the following year. The reasons the Cowboys went from fringe contenders over multiple years to a measly 7-10 are multifold. Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons missing time with injury stands out. But scratch the surface, and you’ll realize the struggles began even prior to them going on IR. Of all his questionable decisions in the off-season, Owner/GM Jerry Jones abandoning the RB room was a line in the sand. There’s only so much Rico Dowdle can do, and he did a lot. Yet, the Cowboys had no vim or potency in the run game. They ranked low on every metric. Well, at least their struggles give them a ticket to the Ashton Jeanty sweepstakes.

The Cowboys are in a unique position this draft cycle. They have a lottery pick because of their poor record. However, the team is in relatively good shape when healthy. This means Jerry Jones can chance on an RB, a position that’s historically not seen as good value to use a first-round pick on—given their early expiration date. Plus, this is the most stacked running back class in recent draft history. So even though Ashton Jeanty’s a stud and unequivocally RB1, why use the #12 pick on him? It comes down to Jerry’s love for the pageantry and storylines often taking precedence over conventional wisdom. Over the NFL on FOX podcast, Dave Helman and Ben Arthur discussed 2 Jerry-esque reasons why the Cowboys are trending towards drafting Jeanty. Which their analysis of the roster lends to being a potential mistake.

Dave Helmen presented storyline #1. Back in 2016, the Cowboys “found themselves with an unusually high pick [4th overall]. Because their good but aging quarterback [Tony Romo] got hurt the year before. They turned around, and they drafted Ezekiel Elliott.” remarked Helman. Well, history sure seems to be repeating. An unexpectedly high pick stemming from Dak missing time that ends in Jerry drafting a superstar RB. Jerry’s love for Zeke Elliott is well-documented. So the proposition of another Prime Zeke in the backfield—something Jeanty is capable of repeating—will excite him when he’s making his decision. This segues into storyline #2, which is more tangible and factual.

Co-host Ben Arthur mentioned how Ashton Jeanty, being a Frisco, TX native, is baked into the equation. He referred to Frisco as the “backyard” of the Cowboys. Having a local hero don that white star on his helmet will be enticing for Jerry Jones. Even Jeanty himself has stated in the past that he’d absolutely “love” to play for the Cowboys. Whether that love is reciprocated by the franchise remains to be seen. Both Helman and Arthur acknowledge the Cowboys being a very possible landing spot. However, they wouldn’t co-sign it.

Dave Helman mentioned how bad the Cowboys’ offensive line was last season. A fractured O-line will mean Jeanty’s run-game is hampered. Compare this to when Ezekiel Elliott got drafted. Helman mentioned how the Cowboys had a stacked line with the likes of Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, and Zach Martin at the peak of their powers. While the story beats do match up, dig deeper, and there are holes in them. “I don’t think you do the same thing all over again, even as great as [Zeke Elliott] was for the first four or five years of his career,” remarked Helman. Ben Arthur concurred with this sentiment. Alas, it’s difficult to think rationally when Jeanty’s doing what he’s doing on Pro Day.

Ashton Jeanty’s Pro Day indicates the Cowboys may not even be able to draft him!

There’s no smoke without fire. Dave Helman and Ben Arthur weren’t extensively discussing Ashton Jeanty to the Cowboys at random. There’s been plenty of reporting around the Cowboys drafting him. If indeed he’s even on the board when they’re on the clock, you see, there’s an argument that you shouldn’t draft an RB as high as #12. However,  there’s a world where the Raiders at #6 or the Bears at #9 snag Jeanty before he even gets there. The sheer amount of interest in his Pro Day sure lends to that notion.

All 32 franchises sent personnel over to Boise State’s Pro Day to have a look at Ashton Jeanty in the flesh. He sure made their trips worthwhile. Jeanty didn’t partake in any drills whatsoever at the Combine. Meaning there was a lot riding on this exhibit. While he still didn’t run the 40-yard dash, Jeanty did do all the other prominent RB drills. No prizes for guessing he aced them if footage making the rounds on social media is to go by.

Ashton Jeanty played high school football just 15 minutes away from AT&T Stadium. “It would be special [to play for the Cowboys]. Growing up in Frisco, [I] spent a lot of time out there. I had a star on my helmet as well… I think it would be cool to have the star on my helmet again,” said Jeanty a couple of months ago. There’s momentum behind this, and it keeps gaining traction. Zeke built a net worth of about $40 million from being a star for THE Dallas Cowboys. For a position that has a shorter career, the off-field financial avenues that come with being a Cowboy are definitely a pull. Whether the pieces do end up following in place for Jeanty remains to be seen. The depth of this RB class will hardly bother the outright best one. Well, less than a month before the verdict is out.