Tony Pollard Replacement? Cowboys Meet Top RBs Prospects at NFL Combine

As the Dallas Cowboys look to revamp the run game, they have set their eyes on a handful of running back prospects at the NFL Scouting Combine. Could they take one on Day 2?

With free agency around the corner, the Dallas Cowboys must be prepared to spend big in an attempt to be truthful about their “all in” moniker for the upcoming season.

One of the holes Dallas will be tasked with filling this offseason stands alongside quarterback Dak Prescott in the backfield. Running back Tony Pollard is set to hit free agency, meaning the Cowboys have the chance to bring in a back with a longer track record.

Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley, and Derrick Henry catch the eye as fun replacements for Dallas to pursue, but teams have grown reluctant to pay veteran running backs in recent years. Could they pivot to the NFL Draft instead?

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At the NFL Scouting Combine, the Cowboys have fueled incendiary rumors about their plans for the running back position. At this point, there is no competent replacement on the roster, and the draft is fertile ground for rosterable running backs.

On Friday, it was revealed that Dallas met with 10 running backs on both a formal and informal basis. According to Nick Harris, their four formal interviews were with Florida State’s Trey Benson, Kentucky’s Ray Davis, Notre Dame’s Audric Estime, and Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen. Notably, those backs are projected to go higher in the draft.

If the Cowboys want to spend Day 2 capital on a running back, they probably won’t be short on options.

Benson is one of college football’s premier tackle breakers, sporting the contact balance and agility to make life hell for oncoming defensive backs. He may be rougher around the edges than others in this class, but back-to-back 1,100 all-purpose yard seasons back up his playmaking ability.

He appeared confident in his ability to translate to the league during his media availability, especially if it comes in Frisco.

“I feel like the Cowboys have the same scheme as Florida State,” Benson said. “So I think that would be a good fit for me.”

If Dallas feels the same way, he could find himself continuing the tradition of star Cowboys running backs.

Allen, meanwhile, boasts the highest pedigree of any back in this class. He hasn’t stopped running since he stepped on Wisconsin’s campus, rushing for 3,494 yards and 35 touchdowns in three seasons.

His stock took a bit of a hit this season but for teams looking for a powerful back in a gap-oriented offense – which Dallas has taken some steps towards – Allen still profiles as a bell-cow back.

“It went very well,” Allen said of his meeting with the Cowboys. “I enjoyed talking with them, liked everybody on the staff, so it was a really good meeting. Broke down some film, asked me some kind of football IQ questions about fronts, pressures, different defenses, things like that.”

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Estime may lack the hype of his peers, but he too offers an exciting track record. He had the best season of the three.

By Pro Football Focus’ grading, no back was better in 2023, and he nearly led the nation in yards after contact per attempt. His combination of power and burst will earn him playing time, but his potential as a pass protector may keep him on the field.

When speaking of the Cowboys organization, he cited their energy, football savviness, and how much he’d learn in their offense.

Dallas may opt to pair a Day 3 running back with a lower-priced free agent, but a high-caliber prospect may be the only way to make fans hopeful about the ground game should they pass on an expensive veteran talent.