Cowboys 7-round mock draft: Dak Prescott traded and rebuild begins

Cowboys round 2, pick 56: RB Jonathon Brooks

Brooks and Trey Benson are similarly rated by many and if Brooks isn’t there, the Cowboys would likely go with Benson instead. The Cowboys intended on drafting a RB in the middle rounds last season but the draft board got away from them and before long, their targets were all gone. They won’t risk that again in 2024.

Brooks is a do-it-all everything bagel of a RB. Coming off a knee injury, his testing is incomplete and his full-contact start date is a little in question. But by all accounts, he’s not expected to miss any time and like the two previous picks, he should be the Day 1 starter in Dallas.

The Cowboys currently lack RB options on their roster. They re-signed Rico Dowdle but his sorted injury history make him a risk to rely on. Deuce Vaughn didn’t show anything as a rookie and Hunter Luepke’s role for 2024 is probably TBD. Brooks is a clear answer at the position and someone they can feel secure with as they continue on in the draft.

Brooks, a former four-star recruit, comes to the NFL without much milage on his tires. Just eight games of starting experience indicates the 20-year-old has plenty of good football ahead of him. Of course, that also means he’s less proven than others in the draft class but the film shows shifty running, game-breaking speed and excellent vision. He can play multiple running schemes and would easily slide into RB1 on Day 1 with the Cowboys.