The Cowboys are sending out signals that they’ll be staying put with the fourth pick in the first round of the draft, leaving the question of who they’ll take with that pick as the next question to answer.
It won’t be Jared Goff, Carson Wentz or whoever comes off the board with the third pick. That third pick is unlikely to be Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott if the Chargers make the selection, which would leave him available for the Cowboys and it’s not hard to find mock drafts that predict they go in Elliott’s direction.
At a Monday press conference, executive vice president Stephen Jones said Elliot is “worthy of being in the top 10" while adding where the team will “end up with him is still a work in progress.” His father Jerry said he didn’t feel like the team has to make an addition at running back with Alfred Morris, Darren McFadden and Lance Dunbar on the roster, but didn’t rule out taking one.
“Of course I don’t think you’re implying that, that we have to go early on a running back,” Jones said, via the Dallas Morning News. “There are some other running backs who could give you another opportunity to look at the future, but I think everybody has done some good work around here this spring and we’re not in a ‘have to’ situation at all on running back. ... You look at what will ultimately be the biggest impact on your team. Just because we didn’t [re-sign] Murray, just because we have running back by committee, just because we have veterans as we’ve said, doesn’t mean at all that we’re not in the running back business.”
If the Cowboys don’t take Elliott, they could draft his college teammate Joey Bosa to bolster the defensive line or Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey. Ramsey could go to San Diego to kick off the suspenseful portion of Thursday night’s proceedings, however.
