The Dallas Cowboys have been looking for their next Emmitt Smith ever since the player many consider to be the greatest running back in NFL history left town, and there's a good chance that they may end up going back to a very familiar well in the 2026 NFL Draft to add talent.
Smith is hoping that his son, EJ Smith, can follow in his footsteps and make it to the pros. Smith has had a very rough college career that involved injuries and transferring, but he officially announced that he is going to make it to the same level his dad was at all those years ago.
Smith, who has emerged as the backup running back on a very good Texas A&M team, announced that he will put his name in consideration for the 2026 NFL Draft. Despite his pedigree, the expectation is that he will go undrafted and look to latch on with a team that way.
If Jerry Jones sees Smith go undrafted, it seems like a borderline foregone conclusion that he will try to throw a contract his way and see if any of the generational talent No. 22 provided for his Cowboys rubbed off on his son after six years of college.
Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith's son EJ declares for NFL Draft
Smith ran for 969 yards and nine touchdowns in six college seasons split between A&M and four years at Stanford. Just when it looked like Smith was going to break out in Palo Alto, the combination of some unfortunate injuries and poor coaching led to him never living up to his potential.
Smith has carved out a role on an Aggies team that went 11-1 in the regular season and made it to the College Football Playoff. Smith, who is listed at 5-11 and 211, has been tabbed as a patient runner who shows some value as a receiver.
Smith's value to the Cowboys will be determined by how tests as an athlete. Given the limited college production, Smith needs to show that his ability to break away in the open field is up to par.
Smith could have been a more viable Draft prospect had he not suffered some injuries and coaching issues far beyond his control, but if he passes all the physical thresholds Dallas wants to see, Jones would love nothing more than to bring a second generation of Smiths into the Cowboys' backfield.