The Dallas Cowboys are in the market for a starting running back, and the signings of Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders certainly don’t change that. With a talented and deep running back class in the draft, the Cowboys are expected to take on early to be their featured back.
The list of possible names in the first two rounds includes Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, Kaleb Johnson, Treveyon Henderson, and Quinshon Judkins. All five of those running backs are expected to be selected in the first two rounds in April.
But what if the Cowboys miss out on those backs and opt to wait until the third round or later to find their starter? Here are three running backs that could be Day 1 starters for Dallas that can be had in the third round or later of the 2025 NFL Draft.
3 mid-round running backs who could start right away for Cowboys
D.J. Giddens, Kansas State
Giddens is one of the easiest running backs to connect to Dallas for several reasons. The first is that his former offensive coordinator, Conor Riley, is the new offensive line coach for the Dallas Cowboys. He obviously knows him well and they were highly productive together with Giddens rushing for 2,569 yards and 17 touchdowns over the last two seasons.
The combine numbers were fantastic for Giddens, as he ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at 212 pounds. He posted a 39.5-inch vertical to go along with a 10’10 broad jump and proved to be one of the best athletes in the class.
Giddens has excellent patience and is incredibly reliable, having only one fumble over the last two seasons despite a monster workload. He is NFL-ready and has the size/speed combination to be a workhorse back at the next level. Giddens isn’t the best at making defenders miss laterally, but he can outrun angles with ease.
Look for Giddens to be selected somewhere in the top 100 and for Dallas to consider him in the third round. If they get wiped out early, expect Giddens to be a potential fallback option in Round 3.
Damien Martinez, Miami
There were some speed concerns about Martinez coming into the NFL Combine, but he certainly answered them by running a 4.51 40-yard dash at 217 pounds. While he’s not as athletic as Giddens, he’s a big back who plays with power and can move piles. He has shown the ability to make defenders miss in the open field and can string together multiple moves to avoid tacklers.
Martinez doesn’t have the long speed to threaten defenses, but he’s not slow, either. Just don’t expect him to rip a lot of 50 or 60-yard runs. Instead, he’s really effective on the 5–15-yard plays and does a great job of keeping the chains moving.
The best situation would be to pair him with an explosive pass-catching running back, but Martinez can handle a big workload and still be effective. He’s very reminiscent of Rico Dowdle, except he is an even better athlete. If Dallas waits until Day 3 of the NFL Draft to pick a running back, Martinez could prove to be a big value.
Brashard Smith, SMU
Of the three running backs listed, Smith is the least likely to be an every-down back in the NFL. He is a former receiver who just made the transition to running back in 2024. He’s only 194 pounds and doesn’t run with a lot of power. However, he’s the most explosive of the three backs and has the chance to be special at the next level.
Smith ran for 1,332 yards and 14 touchdowns in his only season as a running back in college football. He has homerun speed (4.39 40-yard dash) and the ability to change direction at a moment’s notice. Smith isn’t quite as big as Tony Pollard, but he shares similar traits coming out of Memphis.
Pollard was primarily a slot receiver in college but turned into a Pro Bowl running back in the NFL. It wouldn’t be a shock if Smith followed a similar path, provided that he is paired with the right running back early in his career. Smith is a fantastic receiver, as you might expect, catching 108 passes in his collegiate career. At the very worst, he’ll be a mismatch weapon right away, much like Tyrone Tracy with the Giants.
Smith will be selected sometime on Day 3 of the NFL Draft and has all of the traits to be a high-end starter at the next level. If the Cowboys miss out on their Round 1 or Round 2 targets, don’t be surprised if Smith becomes an option in Round 4 or Round 5.
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