Ashton Jeanty has come off a fresh wound from New York. He came, he nailed, and he shined but couldn’t beat Travis Hunter in the race to the ultimate prize. The guy who dared to dish Colorado Buffs two-way star a nail-biter returned empty-handed from the Heisman ceremony. But if you look on the other side of it, Jeanty can take it as a boost in his gut to do better and soar higher in the next season, which will take shape on the professional gerund. Jeanty’s NFL draft discussion has long been a recurring theme in CFB. A few analysts and veterans have already connected him to the Dallas Cowboys. Does it really make sense? Mel Kiper added some compelling intel to it.

Before we get into Kiper’s words, let’s set it out for you. What did Dallas need going into the 2024 season? Some help on the defense and a better running back room. Did they have options? Well, Derrick Henry fell into their lap, but Jerry Jones did not want to pay. Result? The offense never got going without a run game. Forget losing games; the Cowboys were embarrassed at home multiple times. For 2025, the priority is getting a running back.

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Dallas will look at that group of running backs and say we got all these backs we really like. Ashton Jeanty he’s a heck of a player, and he’s six on my board. Remember, I don’t grade guys on my philosophy. I grade them on ability. My philosophy would prevent me from taking him but on the ability, he is the sixth-best player in this draft,” Kiper said.

Not bad for a running back that you’re the sixth-best player in the 2025 NFL Draft. Of course, many teams prioritize other positions- both on offense and defense. For instance, D-line options are always high in demand. Similarly, for a wide receiver. On top of all that, the captain of the ship- a quarterback. Even then, a generational running back can take you from being a good team to a world-beater. Look at how Saquon Barkley transformed Philly’s offense this year. What does Jeanty bring to the table?

“He’s a heck of a player, and he’s passionate, he’s determined, and he’s all already coming in with a chip because he didn’t win a Heisman Trophy, which he said he should have won, so the bottom line here is Jeanty is a heck of a player,” said Kiper. He also expressed doubt on other teams’ need for Jeanty, as all other NFL biggies usually have a stable RB depth.

As we established, Dallas is the only NFL team out there with a legitimate need for a running back. However, on the other hand, the Cowboys have to focus on the other positions, both on the offensive and defensive lines, and a wide receiver. They can take care of the wide receiver matter later in the draft. So, they can let go of that top 10 pick initially to prioritize a high-leveraging spot.

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Dallas is pivotal in terms of this whole mock draft or figuring out where our guys are going to go if they pass on Jeanty or they take him,” the veteran analyst concluded.

Ashton Jeanty has been phenomenal throughout the season. He put the Broncos in the spotlight in carries (344), rushing yards (2,497), and rushing touchdowns (29). He is just 132 yards away to break Barry Sanders’ FBS single-season rushing record. But he lacks exposure in passing. He is the impact back. He didn’t get much chance to put his pass game on a test. Of course, it doesn’t imply he doesn’t possess the quality or can’t acquire it eventually, but it brings uncertainty in regard to the strength of his resume.

So, what Jeanty is thinking about it?

Ashton Jeanty wants to don the Cowboys’ uniform 

Ashton Jeanty didn’t back off from expressing his interest in joining forces with the Dallas Cowboys. On Nov. 12, during an episode of the ‘Kickin It with Dee‘ podcast, Jeanty addressed the rigorous here says on his NFL mock draft. He deemed Dallas the perfect place for him to land, as he has a lot of family members and other connections there. So, he is clearly in.

Everybody is casting their vote for Jeanty for Dallas for 2025, but usually, if you study the general trend of the National Football League draft culture, there has often been a huge gap between December’s fantasy pick and April’s real pick. It would be too early to jump on anything. But, belonging to Frisco, Texas, the Broncos sensation is deep down manifesting an ideal home coming through his NFL kick start if everything goes right.

Apart from all the early debate, after a lackluster season, the Cowboys would be wise to catch Jeanty for the sake of their run game and a solid comeback in Super Bowl contention, similar to what Emmitt Smith did back in the 1990s. Now, the only question is, will they deem Jeanty as a missing piece of their puzzle or merely an option to sleep on?