Cowboys Draft Day 3 analysis: Should Ezekiel Elliott be considered part of Cowboys final haul?

After losing Tony Pollard to Washington Commanders in free agency, running back was a primary interest of the Dallas Cowboys heading into the 2024 NFL Draft.

With the unheralded likes of free agent signee Royce Freeman, Deuce Vaughn, Rico Dowdle, Malik Davis and Snoop Connor, the Cowboys’ running back room needed immediate impact reinforcement.

As the draft commenced through the first two days, the Cowboys stayed patient as four running backs went off the board in the first three rounds.

With no fourth-round pick due to the trade for quarterback Trey Lance last year, the Cowboys watched 35 picks go in the fourth and 38th in the fifth before it was their turn to pick with the 174th overall selection.

Six running backs went in the fourth round, including possible Cowboys targets like Jaylen Wright, Bucky Irving, Ray Davis, Braelon Allen and Isaac Guerendo.

Interestingly enough, four them went right after 49ers took safety Malik Mustapha at No. 124, the pick they got from the Cowboys.

But the Cowboys seemingly have ace in their back pocket with former running back Ezekiel Elliott expected to rejoin the team as a free agent signee after the draft.

Nothing has been done yet.

But owner Jerry Jones has evoked Elliott into the team’s draft running back conversation.

“We also are keenly interested in seeing what the future might look like with Zeke,” Jones said. “We have it in our power to feel good about the running back room. Period. Now are we through with the running back room? I’m not going to answer that. Not trying to be coy. I just don’t need to answer that. But Zeke’s good enough to be in the running back room, and he’s good enough to play for the Cowboys. I’d say that.”

Jones said he saw enough for Elliott with the New England Patriots last season that he can be considered as possible answer at starting running back for the Cowboys.

Elliott led the Patriots last season with 642 rushing yards on 184 carries with three touchdowns. He also had a team-high 51 catches for 313 yards and two scores.

His total yards and yards per carry were career lows for a running back who won two NFL rushing titles and became the third all-time leading rusher during a stint from 2016-2022 in Dallas.

He was cut because of his high salary and declining production.

Jones now has a different perspective.

“I know this, I saw as recent as the end of the year, I saw Zeke play,” Jones said. “And I will tell you he’s good enough to be a starter.”

Per source, the team plans to let a little dust settle from the draft before moving forward with Elliott. But that is the plan and it deserves it’s own shine.

And even as more running backs went off the board in the fifth round, the Cowboys didn’t force the issue. They stayed true to their board.

“It just felt like every time the situation was there, for us to make a pick and do the right thing, it wasn’t at running back,” vice president Stephen Jones said.

With their first pick of the day, the Cowboys chose Wake Forest cornerback Caelen Carson.

It was another nod to improve the defense under new coordinator Mike Zimmer while also given them some more depth at cornerback behind starters Trevon Diggs, DaRon Bland and Jourdan Lewis.

Carson was a blinking light for the Cowboys who was rated higher on the board than where he was picked.

Carson is a physical cornerback who can play outside or in the slot.

The Cowboys took a defensive end Marshawn Kneeland in the second round and linebacker Marist Liufau with their second pick of the third round before Carson as they continued their focus is getting bigger and more physical on that side of the ball.

The went back to offense with in the sixth round, taking Southeast Missouri State receiver Ryan Flournoy with the 216th overall pick.

At 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, Flournoy is big and fast receiver who should make an early impact on special teams. He compares his game to former Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant.

The Cowboys took Louisiana Lafayette offensive lineman Nathan Thomas (6-4, 331) with pick 233 in the seventh round and finished with selecting Auburn defensive tackle Justin Rogers (6-3, 346) with pick No. 244.

Thomas played tackle in college but will move to guard with the Cowboys.

Rogers fills a need for nose tackle to pair with 2023 first-round pick Mazi Smith to improve the run defense.

In the end, the Cowboys took three offensive linemen a draft that was deep on the offensive line, including first round pick Tyler Guyton and third-round pick Cooper Beebe.

Jerry Jones said the Cowboys viewed the offensive line in the draft like a bank robber.

“Why do you rob banks? Because that’s where the money is,” Jones said. “This was a good year where we could zero in on the offensive line. That was reflected in our draft.”

The final day of the draft also saw the Cowboys accomplish their goal of addressing the run on both sides of the ball by getting bigger in the middle.

“We got bigger in both areas,” Jerry Jones said. “Maybe the most important important part of the run game, we got bigger in the offensive line. You could say that on defensive side of the ball. I think we all know what we need to adjust in those areas. So we more big boys up front.”