Dallas City News

It seems like a guarantee that the Dallas Cowboys will select a running back in the first three rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft. After losing last year’s starter, Rico Dowdle, in free agency, Dallas added a pair of running backs this March, but they still need an infusion of talent at the position.

Veteran Miles Sanders and former second-round pick Javonte Williams are the two running backs Dallas added this spring. While both bring some intriguing traits to the table, it’s pretty clear at this point in their respective careers that neither is capable of being a full-time, every-down back.

While the popular belief is that the Cowboys will select a runner to pair with the duo in the draft, there is another way Dallas could go about finding a running back to turn their duo into a trio. That route would be making a trade in the next two weeks before the draft officially kicks off on April 24th.

With that thought in mind, Bleacher Report posted an article detailing four potential trade packages for Jets running back Breece Hall this week. The Cowboys were listed as one of the teams making the hypothetical trade for New York’s talented running back. Here’s what BR had to say about their mock Cowboys/Jets deal.

Jets receive: 2025 third-round pick (No. 76 overall), 2025 sixth-round pick (No. 204 overall)

Cowboys receive: RB Breece Hall

The Dallas Cowboys cannot afford to enter another season without enough firepower in the backfield. They attempted to forego spending any significant money or draft picks on running backs last offseason and wound up averaging only 100.3 yards per game on the ground in 2024, which ranked 27th leaguewide.

Fifth-year tailback Rico Dowdle was one of the lone bright spots in Dallas’ offense last year, but he left for the Carolina Panthers in free agency. That means the Cowboys will have to address their backfield deficiencies in the 2025 draft.

Dallas’ only moves of note in the backfield have been signing Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders to cheap contracts. However, both veterans have disappointed in recent seasons and can’t be considered much more than depth pieces at this stage of their respective careers.

Rather than hope a blue-chipper like Ashton Jeanty is still available at No. 12 overall or rolling the dice on an unheralded prospect in the middle rounds, the Cowboys could instead package a pair of their 10 total selections to bring in Hall.

Despite already achieving star status going into his fourth NFL season, Hall still has plenty of upside and potential to grow along with the other young talent in Dallas. He’d be able to support veteran quarterback Dak Prescott immediately and could eventually help the next signal-caller who takes over under center.

Hall would fill a position of clear need for the Cowboys. He would be the best back to don a Dallas uniform since Ezekiel Elliott was in his prime and could quickly become one of the faces of the franchise.

Even if the Cowboys were presented with the idea of acquiring Hall for this light of a return, it’s not realistic that Dallas would accept the deal. The most significant roadblock would be that Hall is entering the final season of his rookie contract, meaning the Cowboys would need to sign him to a new deal at season’s end.

With the current holes elsewhere on Dallas’ roster and long-term deals looming for DaRon Bland, Micah Parsons, and Tyler Smith, the Cowboys would not be interested in allocating the necessary capital to a running back on a multi-year contract.

Another reason the Cowboys would not make the deal is they likely believe whatever running back they ultimately select with the 44th or 76th pick can nearly replicate the production Hall would bring to Dallas’ offense. The rookie runner would do this while making less than half of what Hall will be after he potentially signs his new deal next spring.

Overall, Breece Hall and the Cowboys make some sense on the surface, but if you dive a little deeper, you can see that the Cowboys would not be interested in a potential trade for the running back.