Should the Dallas Cowboys take a running back with a top 100 pick?

The Dallas Cowboys need to find a backup running back. This will most likely be addressed in the draft, but should the team draft one with a top 100 pick?

Can you smell it? The draft is almost here and by next week every team will be bolstered with fresh young talented players. Even though the Dallas Cowboys do not have a first round pick, the importance of the draft cannot be overstated.

The draft will fill the squad with more options for the next four to five years. As of now, the team’s personnel is actually very good. There are not any huge holes to fill (for the first time in what seems like forever).

But they do have one position to address before playing in a game — a backup to the running back Ezekiel Elliott. The cheapest/best way to fix this is by selecting a running back in the draft. But should the team grab a running back with a top 100 pick?

The Cowboys have two top 100 picks in this years’ draft: a second rounder (58th overall) and a third rounder (90th overall). Just because Dallas does not currently hold a first round pick does not mean they will not find starting caliber players.

A good rule of thumb for teams in the draft is that players that go in the first three rounds should contribute to the team immediately. This is one reason why the Cowboys should not necessarily reach for a rusher with either of their first two picks.

A popular name being thrown around in the Twitterverse is the running back out of Alabama, Damien Harris. Granted, he is a very talented back who has great vision, catching skills, and blocking skills. But if Dallas wants to draft him, they will most likely have to use their second round pick.

This would be quite a stretch for Dallas who has the league leading rusher for at least two more years. This applies to whichever running back goes to Dallas. Odds are that he won’t see the field much.

Another player that is being thrown around in mock drafts is Trayveon Williams out of Texas A&M. Williams led the SEC in rushing yards last year and is pretty good at everything. Many draft analysts believe he will fall somewhere in the fourth to fifth rounds.

If the Cowboys draft a running back, this is as high as they should get one. They just need someone to come in every once in a while and do things similar to what Elliott does. They do not want someone who is one dimensional.

Finding a three down back to have behind Elliott in the depth chart will help play calling and will hide their hand to the defense. And if you are not a Williams fan, there are several running backs that could fall in that fourth to fifth round range: David Montgomery (Iowa State), Devin Ozigbo (Nebraska) just to give a couple other names.

Elite running backs do not just get drafted in the first round. Several Pro Bowl running backs get drafted later in the draft or even go undrafted. If the Cowboys do not end up drafting a rusher it is not the end of the world.

So should the Dallas Cowboys use a top 100 pick on a running back? No. Will they? We will see very soon. Feel free to share your thoughts and ideas on who the Cowboys should draft in the comment section below.