The NFL Draft is just days away as the Dallas Cowboys prepare to make a selection that could impact the franchise for years to come.
Dallas has the 12th overall selection in the first round and could use the pick on an offensive player. Two key positions stand out as the biggest needs on that side of the ball.
If the Cowboys do opt to select an offensive player in the first round, the franchise will likely choose to use this selection on either a running back or a wide receiver.
Running Back
Dallas’ biggest need heading into the 2025 season is the running back position, as very few players currently on the roster will be able to consistently make an impact next year.
Dallas’ rushing attack was among the worst in the NFL last season. The team finished with only 1,705 rushing yards, the sixth-worst number in the entire league.
Additionally, Dallas lost the biggest piece of its rushing offense last year, as Rico Dowdle signed a contract with the Carolina Panthers in free agency.
Although Dallas signed running backs Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders in free agency, neither player should be expected to carry the responsibility as the team’s first option.
Instead, Dallas must look to address this roster hole in the NFL Draft, which includes an incredibly deep group of prospects at the running back position.
Should Dallas choose to address this need in the first round, the best option would be Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who is the clear top prospect at the position in the draft.
However, Jeanty could be selected before the Cowboys are on the clock, meaning the team could target players such as UNC running back Omarion Hampton or Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson.
Both of these players will likely be available when the Cowboys are on the clock with the 12th pick, though Dallas could choose to select another offensive player and address this need in the second round.
Wide Receiver
The second offensive hole the Cowboys must fill in the draft comes at wide receiver, as Dallas has very little depth behind CeeDee Lamb at the position.
Although Dallas managed to throw for over 4,000 yards last season, the team lacked consistent play at the receiver position behind Lamb, who finished the 2024 season with 1,194 receiving yards.
In a similar manner to the running back position, Dallas added wide receiver Paris Campbell to the roster in free agency to slightly address the position. However, he should not be relied upon as the team’s secondary option at the position.
Wide receiver is a much more likely selection with the 12th overall selection than running back due to the abundance of talent at the top of the first round, with various receivers being linked to the Cowboys throughout the draft process.
Players such as Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan, Missouri’s Luther Burden, and Texas’s Matthew Golden have each been linked to the Cowboys in some manner.
While each of these players possesses a completely different skill set at the position, all three could immediately step into the role of the team’s secondary receiver and contribute in their rookie seasons.