Dallas Cowboys Named 'Best Team Fit' in NFL Draft For Texas RB Jonathon Brooks

The Dallas Cowboys' running back situation is rather dire, but could the franchise look to the draft to help Dak Prescott with a ground game?

Nov 11, 2023; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns running back Jonathon Brooks (24) runs the / Aaron E. Martinez-USA TODAY Sports

One glaring weakness for the Dallas Cowboys offensively last season was the lack of a consistent run game. Tony Pollard assumed the No.1 role and Rico Dowdle acted as his backup, and ...

The pairing never got going as planned in 2023, and with Pollard in a contract year, the inevitable happened: Pollard got a long-term contract elsewhere in free agency (Tennessee Titans).

With the Cowboys averaging just 112.9 rushing yards per game last season (ranked 14th), changes needed to be made. Dowdle was brought back, which now leaves Deuce Vaughn, Malik Davis and Hunter Luepke as the other options for Mike McCarthy.

Drafting a running back in the first round seems out of the question given Dallas' need to solidify the offensive line thanks to the departures of Tyron Smith and Tyler Biadasz. But what about in the later rounds?

Texas Longhorns star Jonathon Brooks has been linked with Dallas and was part of the top-30 visits to The Star and now CBS Sports has named the Cowboys as the "best fit" for the Longhorns back.

“Jonathon Brooks' elite traits are his speed, agility and acceleration," CBS Sports writes. "The agility is what shines most brightly on tape. The Cowboys' team doctor is Dan Cooper of the renowned Cooper Clinic in Dallas. He was the surgeon for Brooks' ACL repair procedure, and he also serves as the Cowboys' team doctor. They have the inside scoop on his rehabilitation process.”

Per our own Mike Fisher, the Cowboys' plan all along has been to draft a running back and not be in the free agent market for the likes of Derrick Henry. So Brooks looms as not only a "best fit" but also a geniune option for Dallas in the later rounds.

Texas Longhorns running back Jonathon Brooks (24) runs the ball against Texas Christian University / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman /

CBS Sports adds that the highest Brooks could get drafted in the second round, and the lowest in the fourth round. The Cowboys hold the 56th pick (second round) and the 87th (third-round), so one would imagine Brooks could come off the board with Dallas' second pick. Of course, that's all predicated on Brooks still being on the board.

Paring him with Dowdle, who showed when given ample opportunities last season that he could be productive for McCarthy's offense, might give the Cowboys a one-two punch to help ease the pressure on Dak Prescott.

A two-back system feels like the way forward for the Cowboys in 2024 and in a season where everything is on the line, Dak will need a run game to lean on. Dowdle and Brooks have an unknown quantity about whether they can shoulder the load in the NFL, but perhaps that might work to Dallas' advantage.

Part of every season is seeing young players take their opportunities when they are presented, and with Dowdle and Brooks, the pair could create a nice storyline for the 2024 season. In all the doom and gloom surrounding the futures of Dak and McCarthy, finding some hope for fans to grab onto is crucial.

While they might not be the saviors of the Cowboys' season, if they can hold their own and produce consistently, then maybe that is all the help that's needed for Prescott to take Dallas where it needs to go in January.