The Dallas Cowboys failed to select a running back in the 2024 NFL Draft, but they are projected to address the position with an Ohio State star transfer in ESPN’s early 2025 mock.

After Tony Pollard signed with the Tennessee Titans in free agency, the Dallas Cowboys entered the offseason with questions at running back. The team failed to address the position in the 2024 NFL Draft and ultimately settled on bringing back Ezekiel Elliott.

The move left many fans underwhelmed, and the Cowboys will enter the season with a running back-by-committee approach led by the aging Zeke.

Elliott will share carries with unproven entities Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn, and potentially Royce Freeman, Snoop Cooper, Malik Davis, or Nathaniel Peat. It’s a risky move for Dallas; only time will tell how it pays off.

But, looking to the future, the Cowboys could and should address the position in the 2025 NFL Draft, and ESPN projects the team to do just that.

NFL draft analyst Matt Miller shared his early 2025 mock draft and has the Cowboys selecting Ohio State star transfer Quinshon Judkins, who transferred to the Buckeyes from Ole Miss, at No. 27 overall.

Judkins was the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2022, earning first-team All-SEC honors in both seasons with the Rebels.

Miller writes:

“We’re back to running backs in the first round!? Judkins has elite talent, and Dallas ignored the position throughout this offseason beyond a reunion with 29-year-old Ezekiel Elliott. Judkins rushed for 2,725 yards and scored 31 rushing touchdowns over two years with Ole Miss before transferring to Ohio State. He will share carries with TreVeyon Henderson there, but the new Buckeye has Heisman-level talent and the burst and balance to be a great NFL running back.”

If the Cowboys’ running back corps fails to produce a breakout star in 2024, drafting Judkins would be a move everyone could get behind.

And what better way to replace a 29-year-old Zeke than with another Buckeyes standout?