The Dallas Cowboys got an impressive win in Week 11 with their new-look defense shining on Monday Night Football. And with three straight matchups against Super Bowl-caliber rosters on the horizon, we are about to learn a lot about this team.
But everything the Cowboys have done this season suggests that they are eyeing a run in 2026. And with two first-round picks in next year’s draft, they are hopeful that the roster will improve enough that they can make a legitimate push in the NFC next year.
However, that is all contingent on Dallas nailing their picks in Round 1. Unfortunately, there is a looming trap that the Cowboys might not be able to avoid.
The Cowboys must avoid drafting a RB in Round 1
With the regular season coming to a close in college football, draft analysts are already starting to prepare mock drafts as we inch closer to conference championships and bowl games. We are still over 150 days away from the draft, but there already is a common pick for the Cowboys in Round 1 and that is Jeremiyah Love, the running back from Notre Dame.
In a recent mock draft by Matt Miller of ESPN, he had the Cowboys taking Love at pick No. 13 and passing on several talented defenders, such as David Bailey (Texas Tech), T.J. Parker (Clemson), and Mansoor Delane (LSU). Here is why Miller believes Love would be a great fit in Dallas.
"It's unlikely that Love will still be available at this pick come April, but we've seen teams pass on elite running backs because of positional value. I think Love is one of the three best players in the class and an RB prospect on par with Bijan Robinson or Saquon Barkley. Love would be a dream come true for the Cowboys, whose No. 1 running back (Javonte Williams) is set to be an unrestricted free agent."Matt Miller, ESPN
We can debate how Love stacks up as a prospect compared to Barkley and Robinson, but the truth is that Dallas doesn’t have the luxury of selecting a running back in Round 1. The defense needs a ton of help, especially in the secondary, and they need their two first-round picks to be impact defenders. With Trevon Diggs, Kaiir Elam, and Donovan Wilson all on the final year of their contract, you can make an argument that both of their first-round picks need to be used on secondary players.
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It’s also worth noting that the Cowboys are getting elite running back production right now from Williams. And while Miller is correct in stating that Williams is a free agent, the offensive environment is so fruitful that almost any viable running back can be successful. Williams is currently fourth in the NFL in rushing success rate (56.5%), and that is a huge spike from his time in Denver, where he had a career 44.6% success rate.
The Cowboys can and will likely re-sign Williams on a cheap one-year deal in 2026. Rico Dowdle posted similar numbers in 2024 and was only able to secure a one-year, $3 million deal on the open market. And if it’s not Williams, there will be other options available on the market, including Breece Hall, Kenneth Walker, Travis Etienne, Rico Dowdle, Brian Robinson, etc.
Spending money on Hall or Walker in free agency, even if it's $10 million/year, is still a better option than burning a Round 1 pick on a running back because of the opportunity cost elsewhere.
Because the Cowboys have so much talent at QB, WR, TE, and on the offensive line, it makes life for running backs very easy in Dallas. Williams is averaging 5.0 yards per carry this year and is among the most successful backs in the league. How much of an upgrade could Love really provide this offense? Sure, he’s younger and has more home-run speed, but the difference between the two players isn’t worth a first-round pick. But Dallas has a strong track record of getting running backs to produce in its offense while remaining efficient.
If the Cowboys are going to make a run in 2026, they have to avoid the potential pitfall of a first-round running back. It’s a sexy pick that would get (some) fans excited, but this needs to be a defensive-heavy draft, especially in Round 1. But prepare yourself for several draft analysts to mock Love to the Cowboys early in the first round for the next several months.